Addicted
by FabbSkull
Summary: Many years have gone by...too many years. And Sono has come to realize the effects of his past coming back to haunt him in such a painful way. The question remains. What would you do to keep your loved ones safe? And what risks would your loved ones take to keep you alive? Completely Rewritten story! R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Considering that it has been a long time since I've ever done anything on this site anymore, I'll take the time to apologize here and now for all that negligent nonsense.

Just to clarify: This entire story was rewritten and is being re uploaded as I find the proper writing schedule. For anyone who was a fan of the original story, I'm sorry to say that it is...kinda gone.

I won't go into too much detail as to what happened, but I hope you enjoy the complete rewrite of the story. I personally feel like it flows a lot better and has more feeling to it. Not saying the original didn't, but I like the way this turned out one hundred times more.

I hope you personally enjoy it as much as I do.

I do not own the characters of Sensitive Pornograph, as that honor goes to Ashika Sakura. I do however own the OTs, this story concept, and main hold of everything else...just not the actual characters from the manga.

 _Recap from Life and Trails: After a long strain of curiosity that lead to near obsession, Seiji Yamada had finally came to understand his lover, Sono Hanasaki's, past and how it lead him down the dark road of self hate and sexual abuse he had been on for years. It was a bit of a blow to Seijis senses upon realizing that one man was the cause, the actual cause, of the blonds troubled attempts at a successful love life. But Sono had said that man hadn't been heard from ever since that fateful night, news reports aside. So that was in the past and it was done and over with...right?_

* * *

Chpt 1.

Smoke blew from the mans open mouth, alongside a small, exhausted chuckle. It had been a long day...a long several hours.

17 hours to be exact. 17 long...beautiful hours of hard work and a successful outcome.

Sitting in the corner of the cold room, he took another long drag of his cigarette, while his other hand, soaked in crimson, clutched a necklace in his palm. He had held onto it for a while; it was the only thing that was keeping his mind locked and in focus. Had he let go after his work was finished, he would've gone over his head, most likely getting caught.

Not to say he had never had this problem before. There had been many times he had finished and never once held onto the item like a lifeline...not for a number of years, anyway.

He sighed, leaning his head back to look out the window, seeing how the moon was slowly starting to set. It was time to go. Last thing he needed was to be here where the cops eventually showed up to check out his latest pieces of work. Crushing the smoke onto the pavement, he stood, getting the feeling back in his legs and stretched, the necklace still gripped in his palm.

He walked past the bodies, past the blood, to his bag and knelled to open it, grabbing the last piece he needed to make this an absolute success. Years of planning had gone into this. Years of stalking, torturing, killing, all to get to where he needed to be. And this was the last piece of his puzzle.

Gripping a paper he pulled from his bag, he smiled and grabbed a red marker, making small changes to the paper. Turning it around, he scribbled something and quickly crumbled the paper, tossing it haphazardly across the room, not caring where it landed. They'd see it and they'd know.

He was done here; standing with his bag now slung over his shoulder, he finally turned his attention to the necklace in his hand, a locket to be more specific. He opened it and his dark smile softened, this thumb caressing the picture. Bringing the locket to his lips, he kissed it softly, his eyes darkening in the shadow of the room.

Yes...this really was the last piece of the puzzle. He had all the information he needed. Now he had to properly execute his next plan.

"...almost time...it's almost time..."

He stood there, the locket against his lips and frozen in his place, his dark eyes closing in thought. So many years he had seen his beautiful face...those brown eyes...such golden hair...

He would soil that angelic look. He would destroy it...he would kill him.

In the distance, he heard the sound of an alarm going off. The police would be here in less than 20 minutes...it was time to go.

The shrill of the alarm gave him a slight headache as he bolted out the back window. They always did.

* * *

 _*hours later*_

"God damnit all..."

Officer Yakura removed his hat from his head, running his fingers through his hair and let out the most annoyed groan he'd let out in days.

This was not in the descripton for his step up into the Tokyo task force...and it had been months, years even.

And all he wanted for today was just a quiet day of petty crimes.

Not cleaning up another mess left by Takeo Mizuno.

Bodies were everywhere left the in the most provocative positions. Others were missing clothes and some were ever more brutalized than the others.

And of course, as with all Takeos work, there was one more torn up than the rest...a young blond man. This poor sap looked to be no older than 19 years old.

"Disgusting..."

Yakura pulled out his notebook and joted down the crime scene, the flashes of camera's from the forensics department somewhat blinding him. When the alarm had sounded here, he immediantly was awoken by a phone call from his frantic assistant. At 3 in the morning. Honestly, why couldn't Takeo do these in the daytime...Yakura shook his head and massaged his temples. The lack of coffee from today was getting to him hard. They had been here for only 2 hours and he was already feeling like it was going to be a long day.

A tap on his shoulder made him turn quickly, only to see his young assistant, Oishi Muito, standing there with some files and a notepad. Yakura sighed.

"Give it to me straight. What is it we're looking at now?"

"All these people were employees at an administraion center for most of the art schools around the Tokyo metroplex. They're the ones in charge of the main school near Shinjuku. You know, kinda like how the last ones were-"

"The admin officials in Kichijoji...what the hell is going on? Why is he all of a sudden attacking admin officials for liberal institutions? It makes no sense."

Yakura ruffled his hair and paced back and forth, mumbling to himself over and over. The connections made no sense. Over the course of 6 years, Takeo was only known as a serial killer in lower Japanese neighborhoods, killing street scum and evidently, people who spurned him the wrong way.

Now, he was making a pattern, murdering people in the art community. And not just murdering.

The most sickening things Yakura had seen in his career as a detective had come from Takeos file alone. And it had only been a pattern for the last 3 years.

Killing art majors, admin officials from the best art schools all around Tokyo...

Turning to Oishi, Yakura asked,

"And this kid? Who was he? He's too young to be an admin."

"Oh yes! um...his name is...was...Aoiki Haruka. He was an apprentiance manga-ka for Nioku Kengo. Why do you ask, sir?"

"So far, all I've come to understand about Takeo and his game here is that latley he's been targetting artists...and if there's a blond man present, he does even more horrible things to them...I think this one is the youngest I've seen...I can't imagine what's been done to him..."

Oishi said nothing, but followed his mentors gaze to the boy on the ground, being examined by medics. He winced, still not being totally used to the sight of a corpse this mangled. Well...almost mangled.

One of the medics stood and wiped her hands, turning to them both and Yakura asked,

"What are we working with?"

She sighed and said,

"About the same. All the victims here were either shot down or strangled down...mostly the former. But this one...the poor boy...it looks as though he was stabbed numerous times in the stomach. There are whip marks on his back, most likely a belt, and the hand prints around his neck show he had been one of the few that were strangled...but the only other differance is..."

She hesitated and Yakura could see she was trying not to tremble. He felt for the woman, truly he did, but now was not the time to get emotional. So he cleared his throat, making her sigh and say,

"We noticed blood in the back of his jeans and well...we won't know until we get the official statement, but he looks as though he was...brutally raped as he was dying. And I mean as brutal as one can get with..."

"I get it...thank you."

He turned quickly to get away from the scene for the tine being. Pressing a finger to his chin, he collected his thoughts.

" _I don't understand. Years ago, Takeo was just a thug, a lowlife nothing. Now...now he's getting crafty, leading us on goose chase after goose chase. It's like he knows we were no where close to catching him before...and now it's impossible to find a lead. Art majors...administration officials for the best art schools in Tokyo...the brutal treatment of men with blond hair specifically...goddamnit, where's the connection...?"_

He bit the knuckle of his finger, trying to collect the pieces in his head, leading to nothing. There was no solid reasoning that he could find. What was missing?

Meanwhile, Oishi was scounting the area, writting down anything he could find worth mentioning to his already stressed out mentor. Ever since he had been placed in Yakuras care, Mizuno Takeo was his top priority. He had always been Yakuras number one goal. And all the research Oishi had done on the subject came up short, almost like he wasn't supposed to find anything on the man. The way the sites were blocked off...all under the name of some guy with the surname...what was it? Hana something.

"Oi, Oishi! Come take a look at this!"

Pulled from his thoughts, he walked over to the forensics tech and watched as he pulled a piece of paper from under a chair with a pair of tweezers. Almost instantly, Oishi pulled some gloves from his pocket and slipped them on to take it.

It was crumbled and slightly dirty, so Oishi opened it, wiping off some of the dirt. Upon staring at it, his eyes widened.

Outside, Yakura stared up at the sky, watching the clouds go on such a dark morning. It was hard to belive that the people of this neighborhood were fast asleep while a terrible crime was commited right across the street.

"Yakura-san, we found something you should see."

Hearing Oishis' voice made him startle a bit, but he relaxed enough to see his assistant hand him what looked to be...a picture?

Curious, Yakura removed a single glove from his pocket to slip on his hand and took it, staring at it. Upon closer inspection, his own eyes widened in shock.

"Where...where did you find this?"

"The forensics team found it. What is it though?"

"It's a goddamn clue, is what it is! Finally! Haha! After 9 freaking years, a piece of solid help! The only problem is...I have no idea who these three people are."

Oishi looked over at the picture, tilting his head in wonder.

In the picture, it showed three boys, all in high school uniforms. On the left was a boy with wild brown hair. The one in the middle was pale, with bright yellow hair. And the right was another pale boy with pitch black hair and deep blue eyes...almost like...

"Takeo? No way...this can't be right. The Takeo we know is almost 35 years old...but this looks like it was taken ages ago."

"Maybe it's an old photograph. Maybe it's something from Takeos past and he dropped it."

"Dropped it? Doubt it. Takeo isn't stupid enough to leave something like this behind...something tells me he wanted us to find this. The question is why? And why is one of the boys marked with an X and the other is just a circle?"

"Well...I don't know about that, but there's something written on the back too."

Slowly, Yakura turned to picture over to show three lines of dialouge, all written in red.

 _'I will find you._

 _And when I do_

 _you'll wish you'd never turn me away.'_

"Well, that's not odd...Oishi...does it sound at all familer?"

"Nope. Not in the slightest."

"Damn...the one piece of evidance we get and it's a picture with some stupid quote. Fuck...do we even know where this was taken?"

Oishi took the picture back and gave it a long stare, almost as if he was processing it deep in his brain. Yakura gave him his time to think and finally, after a good few seconds, Oishi tilted his head and said,

"It looks like...Hanamiyama Park. If I remember correctly, it's in Fukushima. That's a nice park, especially when the cherry blossoms start blooming, like in this picture. Ahhh I remember when I was young I went to this park. It was so pretty! And-"

Oishi stopped talking when he felt his mentor grip his arms, shaking him wildly with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Oishi, you're a goddamn godsend, you know that?! I've never been to Fukushima before so I never would have known that! Shit there's so much to find out...we need to find out what school these boys went to. With any luck, someone from back then should still be there! We have no time to lose, we have to go!"

The young man had no time to gush at the compliments spewing from his mentors mouth as he was pulled down the street to the nearest taxi station, a flush on his face as Yakura phoned the Fukushima police department, demanding they speak to the chief.

* * *

 _Fukushima...4 hours later_

"What do you mean you won't help us?! We've been waiting here for hours to talk to you and you're just going to push us away?!"

The chief of police didn't say a word to them. He simply pulled out a cigarette, lit it and sighed, smoke lifting from his mouth.

Yakura was losing his patience; ever since they had arrived in Fukushima, it was as if they had 'Takeo' written all over them. People avoided them, gave them strange looks.

Even as they walked into the police station, waited for hours to speak with the chief, it was insufferable.

Even Oishi, as level headed as he was, was staring to get frusterated, fidgiting in his seat.

The chief crushed his cigarette in his ashtray, sighing.

"Listen, I'd love to help, truly I would...but I'm not sure how much help I could be with a subject like this. Takeo is...not the best thing to happen to this city."

"But that's why we want to help. He's causing massive panic throughout most of the smaller districts in Tokyo and a huge terror in the metro. If we don't stop him soon, I'm not sure what else we can do. There's got to be something."

"You're nice detectives, I can see that. But if this is such a hot button issue in Tokyo, which to be honest, I'm not even sure why Takeo would be there, then why don't you do your own research on him?"

Oishis ears picked up on that middle bit and his gears started turning. And before Yakura could say anything, he spoke up,

"Believe me, chief, I have tried to gain any information I can about Takeo but everywhere I go, there's something blocked. All I remember is it's blocked by some big sponser...god I can't remember the name...Hana...Hanas-"

"You mean, Hanasaki? Am I right?"

At the sound of that, both Oishi and Yakura let out collective sighs of relief and the younger said,

"Yes! Thank you! That has been bugging me for weeks now. Kenji Hanasaki. That's whose been blocking my research. Phew. Do you know where we might find him? He could hold some vital-"

The chief slammed his fist down, startling them both. Oishi yelped loudly and Yakuras eyes widened at the sound.

"You will not, I repeat...you will not speak to Hanasaki Kenji about this. There are plenty of reasons why he blocked off much of the information behind Takeo. Look, I've had enough of this. There's only so much people here are willing to take and-"

"Can you at least tell us who these boys are then? I'm fairly sure this one is Takeo, but who are the others? I understand this is probably a bit painful, but I'm asking, as a fellow upholder of the law...at least help us with this."

Oishi stared at his mentor with such adoration and beaming eyes. This is why he joined the force. To be this passionate about cracking a case and helping people.

The chief, knowing deep down he had no other option, pointed and said,

"This one here is Nazawa Naoki."

His finger slid to the middle of the picture,

"And this is Hanasaki Sono. They were both students at the private high school up in North Fukushima. God...that was 15 years ago."

Yakura smiled, jotting it down in his notes while Oishi spoke up,

"Hanasaki? As in the same Hanasaki we were talking about? This is his son?"

"His baby, let's get real. Kenji had two sons. His oldest, Oto, is a high class lawyer up in Tokyo. I'm sure you know of him."

Yakura nodded.

"I do. He's the person who is funding this Takeo case. He's not a cop by any means, but he has much of the Tokyo police department in his pocket due to his legal help with the Mayor."

The chief nodded back to him, staring at the picture and gave a sad smile.

"Sono is a different story, I'm afraid. The youngest and probably the most frail. He's had such a difficult life. Ever since Takeo, he's lived much of it in fear. I'm not surprised in the least that Sono hasn't come back here to see his family. Too many dark memories."

Oishi took this chance to ask,

"So, Hanasaki is still around? And Naoki too? Do you know where we can find them? They might have valuable information and-"

The chief looked at him with such a grim stare and said,

"You're not getting anything out of these two...Sono left years ago and hasn't looked back since. And Naoki...well..."

Yakura and Oishi leaned in their seats to hear the cheif as he was starting to whisper. When he had gone silent, Yakura mentioned,

"And Naoki sir? Is he?"

"He died. He was killed protecting Sono from some thugs that were hired by Takeo. Heh...it's sad. I had always thought they would graduate and run off together...I have to give the blond some credit. Highest Honor student of Shinjuku's Art Institute...Naoki would've been so proud and-"

The chief cleared his throat, stopping his talking halfwad and the two Tokyo detectives stared at each other, then back at the chief, who stared at them hard, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice...I've already told you this much. But listen here. Whatever I tell you, you must understand that I am more concerned with what you do with this information. Clear?"

After getting a clear nod from the two, the chief continued...starting with another cigarette.

"Do either of you know what it's like...you go to bed one night, the night as calm as it could be. Of course, you'd get a weird pang in your chest, as if something was terribly wrong...then you get a phone call. The one phone call that forever changes you..."

The chief sets his hand on the window, his other hand crushing his smoke...Yakura says nothing and Oishi looks on in wonder.

"I don't suppose either of you have kids...so you won't know what it feels like...to be told your only son died protecting his friend. To know that you outlived your own child and have to live with the soul crushing guilt it leaves. To see the person he died saving and know that deep down, it wasn't his fault, but you want to place to blame on someone...only to forever hate the real cause of his death and vow to never have it happen again..."

The air suddenly grew thick and Yakura turned to his assistant, who he could already tell had put the pieces together quickly. They didn't need to say a word as the chief continued.

"When Naoki died and I found out it was Takeo who killed him...I felt my soul tear into two. Sono and Takeo both, I loved them both like my own. But the hate I felt for him was overshadowed not just by my sons death but the bleeding sorrow on Sonos face every time I saw him. He blamed himself and most likely still does. After Sono left for college, I sold my shop and busted my ass through police training, eventually becoming a chief...I promise to my sons grave every day that what Takeo put this city through...put Sono through...I would never allow it to happen again. The fact that you two show up here with this makes me sick to my stomach but in a way, it's a blessing. Maybe this can finally be put to bed."

Finally, the chief sat back down in his chair and said,

"Naoki always told me how much this boy meant to him...Sono was like his ray of sun even though he lived in a dark cloud...even after he made up with his father...I can't imagine the pain that stays with him all these years...damnit, let me see the picture again."

Oishi handed the picture to the chief and they both watched as he turned it over, seeing the writing and his brow furrowed. Turning the picture back around to face the boys, he said,

"Well, I can tell you that's Takeos hand, alright. But I'm more concerned with what he wrote. It's like a threat."

"A threat sir?"

"On graduation night, oh about 15 years ago, Takeo had beaten Sono within an inch of his life. At some point during their senior year, Naoki told me they had broken up and then he randomly comes home in tears, telling me that he realized he was in love with his best friend...Sono I mean. And I had told him to go with his heart and soon, they had some secret romance up until Naokis' death...I guess Takeo found out about it and become jealous...insanely jealous...from what I had heard, Takeo gave him a chance to get back together with him and Sono turned him down, resulting in the...well, yeah. Sono would've died had it not been for Kenji stepping in and shielding his son. He almost had the chance to kill Takeo, but he got away and that was the last Fukushima saw of him since...that can only mean one thing...where did you say you found this?"

"We found it at our most recent crime scene. Takeo usually never leaves us traces of him so this was quite the surprise."

"And you said he was targeting art majors? Administration officials for art schools in Tokyo? Something about a terrible fate for men with blond hair?"

Oishi nodded enthusiastically and Yakura simply nodded. The chief ran his hands through his gray hair. Yakura spoke up first, clearing his throat and as he spoke, he found his eyes getting wide with shock and realization.

"You mentioned before thatTakeo has had a sick obsession with Sono for years...since they were kids...their separation and Sonos romance with your son must've made it even worse...he must be being especially sadistic towards blond haired men to hopefully satisfy his craving to...to...art majors...it makes sense. Sono was an art major at Shinjukus Art Academy according to you..he graduated and the admins would have old records of graduated students...there's the connection. Holy shit, that's the connection!"

Yakura bolted up from his chair and stared at Oishi, who stared at him with energized enthusiasm.

"Takeo isn't just targeting these people for new kicks! He's killing them for information...the blond haired men we find...they look like Hanasaki Sono...he's doing it for nostalgic pleasure and...and...the admin records. If he had access to those...he could get access to where Hanasaki might be living now and..."

Oishio bolted from his own chair and proclaimed,

"Takeo is moving this new pattern because he's looking for Sono-kun! And if he finds him-"

"-there's no telling what he could do...he'd hurt him...holy shit, he'd kill him. He'd kill him worse than the men we find at the crime scenes."

Yakura turned so suddenly and slammed his hands on the chiefs desk so loudly that even the chief jumped in surprise.

"Chief, you've been such a huge help! Thank you so much for this incredible lead! We...we have to find Hanasaki-kun. He needs to know this. He needs to get into protection and-"

"Do you two even know where to start looking?"

The adrenaline rush Yakura had came crashing at that realization and he almost sunk to his knees in defeat. Of course they hadn't thought that far yet.

Even Oishi leaned against the doorway, trying to clear his head. What kind of detectives were they? Getting excited over this and yet with no knowledge-

"Heh, you two are by far the most interesting pair of Tokyo cops I've ever met...listen, if you're going to look for Sono and all that, I ask you do me one favor and one favor only."

"Anything, Chief. What is it..."

"Protect him. I don't care if he's got some girlfriend or boyfriend or whatever. You find him...protect him and take Takeo down. I want this bastard brought to his knees for what he's done."

Oishi stood up straight and saluted the Chief, nodding with a smile.

"You can count on us, sir!"

Yakura nodded and the Chief nodded back, then reached into his desk, pulling out what looked to be a manga.

"There isn't much on Sono Hanasakis location since he up and left this place after graduation, but I've come to realize that it's not as hard as some people make it out to be to find others, especially if they've got a career that caters thousands of people. If you want to find him..."

The Chief held a manga in front of them and both cops eyes widened. It was a manga called "Horizon's Outlet". The manga-ka was Hanasaki Sono.

"...start with his publisher."

 _TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

What do most people do at 10 pm at night?

Some people put their kids to sleep, going to bed themselves, preparing for another day.

But in this bedroom, there was no sleeping. It was too hot to sleep...much too hot.

The men had finished their volumes for the day and had the rest of the night to take a load off. Which in this case meant getting rid of their current sexual frustrations that had been stacked on and on for days.

Seiji had his lover pinned to his bed, kissing him with such firey passion, digging his hands into those golden locks as he felt Sonos own wandering hands lightly trail down his back. His lips left his mouth and found the juncture inbetween his ear and neck, causing Seiji to let out a soft moan of surprise, gripping Sonos hair harder, feeling a growl under his ear. Seiji chuckled. Sono was a sucker for hair pulling.

Feeling bold, Seiji leaned down and suckled his loves earlobe, trailing his vein down to his shoulder, licking a hot stripe up his chin and kissed him hotly, pulling the back of his hair so roughly, he could have sworn he imagined Sonos eyes roll back into his skull and a moan let loose in his mouth.

Having quite enough of his young lovers teasing, Sono broke free and was quick to turn the tables as Seiji found himself pinned to the bed, his blond lover straddling his hips, arching forward to get right in his face. Seiji chuckled.

"Was I teasing you too much, love?"

"Your fascination with my hair is what was concerning me. Heh, I simply feel like I spoil you too much by not cutting it."

"Aww you're no fun. I love your long hair. It makes you more beautiful than you already were."

At that, Sono blushed and looked away, making Seiji take his chin in his fingers and have him look at him. Their eyes locked and Seiji leaned up to close the gap between them, kissing with a more gentle tone, one of his hands caressing his lower back, treading dangerously low.

Without warning, Seiji teased the blonds entrance for about a second before thrusting two fingers inside. The loud gasping moan he drank down almost made him laugh. Sono broke away and punched Seiji lightly in his chest.

"Can you at LEAST give me some heads up? You and your foreplay has been scattered and it's driving me crazy tonight."

"You wanted me to stop teasing you, so I thought this was what you meant."

"Oh shut up, you know damn well that isn't what I mean."

They both laughed and kissed again, taking in the moment as Seijis fingers gently moved in and out of his lovers body, relishing the moans that came from the blonds otherwise occupied mouth.

Slipping in another finger, he felt the blond break their kiss and threw his head back, gasping and moving his hips along with his fingers. Eventually, Sonos hand found the headboard, gripping it tightly as Seijis fingers moved faster in his body, making him slightly dizzy.

"God...stop teasing me...please..."

Seiji smiled and brought the blond to his chest, making his hips rise higher and his this gave him a better chance to quicken his thrusts. He felt his lovers moans on his chest, hot as they were, increasing every time he lightly grazed his sweet spot.

To see his love so open in the way, Seiji felt his heart pound madly. It had been a long couple of weeks. With Sonos first emotional breakdown in 15 years, it made him seem more human. Seiji made a promise to him then that nothing was going to break them apart. Not even death would keep Seiji away. With that thought fresh in his head, he ran his free hand through Sonos hair, kissing his temple and removed his fingers, earning a whimper of displeasure.

But Sono knew why Seiji was being so tender tonight. He didn't want to overwhelm him. The past several days were days Sono hadn't felt in years, so it was obvious he wasn't 100% sure how to deal with it. But the feel of having someone love you after knowing all of that...Sono couldn't begin to appreciate all Seiji had done for him since.

Sitting up properly, he straddled the mans groin and stared into his eyes, feeling his hands gently rub his legs. One of those hands went up to caress his cheek under his hair and he heard a faint whisper of,

"I'm not fibbing...you're still so beautiful...and I love you so much."

A pink flush found it's way to his cheeks as Sono averted his eyes with a smile, whispering a small thank you before shifting a bit, taking his lovers cock in his hands and gently settled himself on it, sliding down with ease, his mouth hanging open to let out gasping moans.

Seiji in turn let out a shocked moan, surprised with his lovers boldness at wanting to be on top. Very rarely did Sono ever ride him like this and just experiancing it was a thrill. Seiji knew not to spoil it.

Gripping his hips, he thrusted upwards, hearing a gasp leave the mans mouth and went with it. Sensing a challenge, Sono balanced himself and began moving his hips back and forth, up and down, eventually riding his lover into a frenzy. Every fiber in his being was set aflame, growing hotter with every grind and every thrust.

Seiji loved this. Each and every time they had sex, it was discovering a new thing every moment. He leaned his head back, moaning at the heat building in his loins, alongside the heat of his lovers body surrounding him. It felt so wonderful.

Feeling his orgasm suddenly approaching, he gripped Sonos member, earning a loud cry and an involuntary thrust of his hips in his hand. He felt so hot and so heavy, throbbing and ready to burst. Seiji felt hypnotized by it as he pumped his blond love, slow at first, then speeding up as soon as he felt Sonos hips start to lose their rhythm.

In nearly a second, the blond flung his head back and let out his loudest cry of the night, gripping Seijis hand tightly as he came hard on his chest. The force of his orgasm made his lungs forget how to work for a moment and he fought for breath.

Seiji, on the other hand, was caught so offgaurd by the tightnening around his cock that he let out a sudden moan of surprise, pumping his hot seed into his lovers trembling body. Sono felt hot and cold all at once, smiling to himself. There's never been a man to make him feel this way and his heart swelled. He was crazy in love...there was no way around it.

Unable to keep himself up, Sono fell onto his loves chest, breathing heavily and felt those soft hands rub his sweaty back, tenderly massaging his muscles with his fingertips. The blond nuzzled the mans neck, inhaling his scent and kissed under his chin, silently thanking him for that.

Seiji grinned and kissed the top of his hair, mumbling,

"What...what's the occasion? Usually, you like letting me do most of the work...why the sudden want to top?"

"I dunno...maybe I like to remind myself that only I can make you moan like that. It's a power thing for me, I guess. Heh."

Seiji left it at that, staring at the blond man nuzzled against his body. He looked so peaceful and content. He couldn't help but smile...then a sour thought crossed his mind.

"Sono...have you been...sleeping well, lately?"

There was a pregnant pause in the air and he felt Sono give a nervous chuckle.

"What? Why would you ask that?"

"Not that it's a huge concern should you think, but I've noticed you nod off every now and then when we work together. You mention you're tired a lot, but make no mention of wanting to sleep...if that's not convincing, the bags under your eyes give it away."

Sono said nothing; Seiji felt his body tense in his embrace, but his smile didn't falter as he sat up and set the blond in his lap, staring up at him with such a loving gaze.

"Remember what I said? No matter what happens, no matter what hell comes our way, I'd never give up on us. I told you I'd help you heal in any way that I could. It's stressful, I understand. But...you know that's I'll never stop loving you and I'll never stop trying for you. I love you."

Seiji emphazised this by pressing a kiss to Sonos heart, feeling it pound under his skin. He then felt the blonds gentle hands in his brown hair, cradling him to his chest. He felt tears in his eyes, but pushed them away to whisper,

"How did I ever get so lucky to have you, Seiji..."

"I ask that question a lot myself...but I know whatever answer I give just makes me love you more and more each day...do you wanna stay the night? It's getting late and I know it's a long walk for you to get home. We both have tomorrow off, so let's stay in."

"That sounds...wonderful. Sure. I guess I can spare a night."

Seiji chuckled and pounced to get his lover back into bed, throwing the sheets over them and peppering kisses to the blonds face.

"Haha, Seiji quit. I'm tired and if I'm supposed to get proper sleep like you want, I can't have you distracting me."

"Awww using my words against me to get out of affection. You're too smart for me."

Sono couldn't help the laughs that poured from his mouth and lightly punched the mans cheek, telling him to come to bed.

As they layed together, Sono was out like a light, while Seiji watched him sleep for a few moments before silently getting out of bed, putting on a pair of sweat pants and left the room, gently shutting the door.

Moving over to their two desks, he collected his papers and set them in his bag before moving to Sonos work. As he collected the blonds, he noticed his phone was flashing a bright white light. This meant he had an unread email.

Frowning at who could be emailing him at this time, Seiji took the blonds phone, opened it and clicked to see the email.

It was...odd. A very vauge email from a vauge address that read,

 _Hanasaki Sono. It is important that we meet with you as soon as possible. I cannot go into detail now. Please respond with home address._

Scoffing at what was so obviously a scam email, Seiji moved to delete it...then stopped. He didn't know for sure what this was and not knowing made him nervous...

Shutting the phone, he set it back down and moved away from the desk, unsure of how to take it. It seemed like one of those typical scam emails, but the way it was worded said different.

Opting not to touch it, Seiji went back to his room and crawled into bed, taking the man in his arms and kissed his head.

Seiji had a lot to think about these last few weeks. Sono telling him about his childhood, the things he went through...it put a lot of things into prospective for him.

Absentmindly rubbing his lovers arm, he couldn't help but feel an unending amount of disdain for his family, but he knew it wasn't their fault...Sono told him that he had made amends with his father and his brother...but Seiji still wasn't sure. He didn't want to make a huge deal about it; the blond would talk when he was ready.

Smiling to himself, he shut his eyes and went to sleep, his lips in Sonos hair, kissing the back of his head.

 _Next Afternoon_

The two men found themselves in Sonos' home the next afternoon, going over draft ideas for his next erotic piece. Seiji had given much of his input as he could on the subject, considering erotica and hentai were not his strong suits, though Sono greatly appreciated his help.

They had eaten a small dinner consisting of rice, soup and beef strips, all of which Seiji devoured in seconds. The rest of the night was dedicated to brain storming.

At around 7 pm however, there was a loud knock at the door, drawing them away from their thoughts. Sono groaned and moved to answer the door, demanding to know who was being so rude at this time. But when he answered the door, his irritation subsided and was replaced with confusion.

Two men stood at his door, looking flushed, like they had been running a mile...though they were in suits.

The taller of the two asked,

"Pardon us for the inturrption. We've been scaling this apartment complex all afternoon. Might you be Hanasaki Sono?"

The confused look on the blonds face grew as he nodded silently, feeling Seiji stand next to him and the two men let out collective sighs of relief.

"Oh thank god. I told you, Yakura-san. We should've waited to get the address before running out like that. Really sorry to inconvience you like this."

Sono said nothing, still greatly confused. The taller man, Yakura, cleared his throat and said,

"My name is Detective Yakura. And this is my assistant, Oishi. We were wondering if we may ask you a few questions about a recent case we've been struggling with. You're more than likely our last hope in this sense."

Seiji's eyes perked at the sound of detective. Taking a glance at their badges, he noticed these two were from the special forces in Tokyo.

Why in the world were two cops from Tokyo here in Osaka? And why were they interested in Sono? He didn't like the look of this at all.

Silently, Sono nodded and stepped aside, allowing the two to come inside and remove their shoes. Seiji showed them to the nearest couch and they sat down quickly while the other two sat in the chairs across from them. Oishi looked around at all the manga tools around the place, eyes glowing. Yakura, however, pulled out his notepad and said,

"Once again, we are terribly sorry for the sudden arrival. We just arrived to Osaka late last night to come find you. I recieved your email address from one of my intel and was hoping to hear back from you so we didn't resort to tracking your publisher. Since that failed, we went to your publishing company and we got the name of your building, but in my haste I failed to catch the number and none of the neighbors knew who you were so we scaled every complex until we found you."

In the back of Seijis mind, he slapped himself. The email had thought was a scam was two cops trying to find him? Seriously? Just what did these two want...?

Sono nodded, trying to keep an open mind to this situation. He wasn't nervous as to why they were here, just curious. Yakura set his notepad aside and pulled out an envelope from his bag, reaching in and pulled out a plastic bag with a photograph inside. Sono could see there was hand writting on the back, but didn't get a chance to read it as Yakura said,

"Now...I'm just going to get right down to brass tax. We're both part of the Special divisions police force in Tokyo and we've recently hit a snag in a case that we've been tracking for about 10 years...what do you know about a man named Mizuno Takeo?"

That name...Sono felt his heart stop in seconds. His eyes widened and he gasped, gripping his pant leg. Sweat started forming at his forehead, memories of that night flashed through his brain. Shaking them away, he focused and said,

"I um...I may know of him...we went to high school together...what does his misdoings in Tokyo have to do with me?"

"Well, we're not sure ourselves. We found this picture at our most recent scene and after a lengthy talk with the Fukushima Police Chief, we may have some theories."

Sonos eyes widened oh so subtley. These two went to his home town for answers about Takeo...that was like going to a war sight and bringing up a bomb. It never ended well. Fukushima, as he remembered, kept Takeo out of their lives as much as possible.

"I...I see...and?"

"Well, this picture...I'm sure you've seen it."

Sliding it over to the other men, Sono picked up the bag and there was no hiding the level of fear in his eyes. Staring at the infamous picture of the three of them at the park when they started their senior year of highschool...his heart no longer moved...

Turning the photo around, Sono was able to read the message on the back. A tremor passed through his body and he found he could no longer move himself. He didn't even feel it when Seiji gripped the picture from his hands and looked it over, reading the message and then back at the picture. Finally, he stared at the cops, eyes glaring that he demanded an answer for this.

Yakura spoke up and said,

"I understand this is troubling. But please understand that we are not here to just give you this terrible news...we are here to help you."

Finally, Sono felt his head move and he looked at the men, his brown eyes wide in horror.

"Help me? How do you expect to do that? Do you two have any idea who you're dealing with? You think that just because you were tasked with hunting him down and cleaning up his messes that you know who he is? You know nothing...Takeo Mizuno...he's...he's crazy. I've seen what he can do when he's lost control. When he's angry...I've felt it..."

Seiji could have sworn he saw Sonos left foot twitch at that.

"You don't know Takeo like I do...If I understand this correctly...and do not bullshit me on this...he's out for me, isn't he? Takeo's looking for me...right?"

Not one man said a word. The two officers looked at each other while Seiji looked at his lover, absolutely amazed at how calm he was being. Granted, Sono was trembling fiercely and his eyes were glassy, but he was firm and straight about it. When the officers looked at him, Yakura smiled.

"Chief did say you were smart, but damn. The history you have with this man...Hanas-...Sono-san...we are here on a promise to protect you and to bring Takeo to justice. There's no doubt he knows at the very least what city you live in now. We were tasked to make sure nothing happens to you."

"And who, pray tell, in Fukushima would make you promise this? I know for a fact you didn't speak to my father. He refuses to acknowledge something like this...at least he used to...so who? Who made you promise to make sure I remained safe from Takeo."

Oishi smiled and said,

"Chief Nazawa of the police. You might remember his son, Naoki, right?"

All the light in Sonos head went dark. He vaguely heard Yakura smacking Oishi upside the head for that remark. He barely head Oishi franticlly apologising. And he could very little hear Seiji asking if he was ok.

All he saw was a white veil and he didn't hear himself as he asked,

"Nazawa-san...he's...he's still...he's chief now?"

"He made us promise to protect you. He said you were like a second son to him. He loved you like his own and supported that you and his son were together...we are here to honor that promise."

The apartment suddenly became very tense and hard to breath. This was too much information coming at him at once. He felt Seiji rubbing his shoulder gently, looking at him and seeing his concerned stare. He couldn't find his voice.

Seeing that this was going no where, Yakura nodded and mentioned to Seiji,

"It's clear we've upset you with this information and I truly am sorry...I ask that we have your cooperation with this. There's only so much Oishi and I can do. Will you help us?"

Seiji nodded quickly.

"You have my vow, officers. You made a promise to his late friends father to protect him. I'll make a promise to protect my...soul mate."

Seiji heard the words leaving his mouth and was almost surprised to hear himself say it. It seemed like Yakura didn't mind and he smiled, shaking his hand and said,

"Exactly what I want to hear. Hanasaki-kun is lucky to have you. Oh, I didn't catch your name. Best we have it if we're to stay in contact."

"Huh? Oh yes haha...It's Yamada Seiji."

Oishi, who was packing up their supplies, overheard their conversation and glided over to the two, stars in his eyes and said,

"I knew I recognized you! You're that amazing artist behind "Souls beyond nature." Ahhh it's such an honor! I'm a huge fan. And I'm a huge fan of Hanasakis work as well. Oh when this is all over, it would amazing if-"

"Oishi, shut up, we're on the clock here."

Yakura smacked his assistant with his notepad and ushered him out the door. After Seiji wrote his cell number in his pad, Yakura shook his hand and said,

"We'll be in touch. Just stay with him for now. This might be an emotional rollar coaster."

"Thank you, sir."

With that, they left and Seiji shut the door, turning to look at the blond still sitting in the chair, not having moved a muscle.

"Sono? Love, are you alright?"

Just Seiji's touch made him jump back into reality and he looked at him with those brown eyes, blinking rapidly.

"Seiji? What...where?"

"They left. They gave us their contact information in case something happens and told me they'll be in touch...are you feeling ok?"

"Honestly? I feel...confused. I should have known this day was going to come. Takeo's always been this way...it's been a nightmare in my head for years...then I met you and I thought I was safe...heh, I guess not."

"Hey! Sono, if that's supposed to be funny, it isn't. Listen, those two are here to protect you...and for that matter, so am I. What kind of lover would I be if I let anything happen to you. I'd never forgive myself...I'll protect you from Takeo. You have my vow. Alright?"

"Why are you getting so worked up about this?"

"You should know by now. I love you. You trusted me with your life story and I fell more in love with you because I now understand you completley. Now I'm asking you to trust me. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you, Seiji. With all that I have."

"Then let me be the overprotective boyfriend. Let me protect you from your past."

Sono didn't know what to say. He remained still as Seiji kissed his cheek and he couldn't help but close his eyes. The kiss was so tiny, but it felt so powerful. Even after he moved away, Sonos hand touched his cheek, a smile gracing his features. He didn't register that Seiji had moved to the kitchen to make tea, but even still, Sono felt the love in that small kiss.

It reminded him of the kisses Naoki gave him when he was scared. Every time something bad happened, Naoki was always there to make him feel better...and then Takeo took him away.

The fear that he might do the same to Seiji made Sono shake in terror. Seiji had said that if anything had happened to Sono, he'd never forgive himself.

But Sono was more concerned with what might happen if Takeo did something to Seiji. Hurt him or kill him. He'd die. The force of losing Seiji would most likely kill him from a broken heart.

His fingers still remained on his cheeks as he felt tears roll down from his eyes, not realizing he was crying. His heart hurt. It hurt something terrible.

Getting up from the couch, he moved to the kitchen and stood in the doorway, watching as Seiji washed some cups for tea, acting as though nothing was wrong. Feeling like he was being watch, Seiji turned to see Sono standing there, cheeks wet with tears and he suddenly grew worried.

"Sono? What is it?"

He didn't say anything. He couldn't. If he opened his mouth, he'd break down in rambles. Instead, Sono walked over to his lover, his reason for life and embraced him, his tears flowing softly as he shut his eyes, letting out a choked sob as Seiji wrapped his arms around his small frame.

No words were exchanged, there wasn't much to say. The force of the day was hitting Sono hard and all he could do now was cope the best he could.

He felt Seiji kiss the top of his head and he let out another sob, trying to calm down. He couldn't break down like this. He had to remain calm for them both.

But just feeling his lovers arms around him like this, lips touching his head, he had every reason to cry. He had to feel human and Seiji was his rock.

In such a peaceful yet sorrowful moment, Seiji held the blonds head to his chest, gently swaying him. It was all he could do. And he could only say one thing to him at this moment.

He pressed another kiss to his head and whispered,

"I love you."

And Sono held onto those words like a lifeline.

It was all he could do from crashing down at this very moment.

 _TBC_


	3. Chapter 3

For the last 2 weeks since the cops appeared outside Sonos door, Seiji made a point to go see him every night after work and eventually stayed over a few nights just to be sure he slept properly. Though Sono would say he was fine and could handle it, his actions said otherwise.

Seiji noticed that Sono was getting more and more twitchy, fumbling things in his hands from time to time. He had dropped numerous glasses to the point where Seiji bought him new cups.

The blonds was many things, but he was a terrible liar. And he was trying so very hard not to face reality.

Seiji was getting worried, more than worried. There were nights where Sono would be fine, perfect even, smiling like nothing was wrong.

There were nights were he would fight it...fight the reality that Takeo was out there and looking for him to do god knows what to him. And it would make him angry, pushing Seiji out and telling him to come back the next day.

Seiji would never be angry with him, mostly because he couldn't understand what the blond was going through. He had never been in this situation before. All he could do was try and be there for him as best as he could.

One night in particular stuck out in his mind.

He had went grocery shopping for the two of them and once he got to Sonos home, he could tell something was very wrong. Without even thinking, he opened the door and stepped inside, seeing how destroyed his apartment looked. Papers were strung everywhere, along with water bottles and sake bottles. Clearly, Sono was trying to drink himself into a stupor without actually being drunk. Hence why Seiji found him sitting in his work chair, staring at a wall as he walked in.

He heard his footsteps, turned his head and quickly stood to greet him. The sight was sad. Sono looked like he hadn't slept in weeks, his hair was everywhere. But he played it off casually, flattning his hair and smiled, giving Seiji a hug before taking the bags and set them in his kitchen, unpacking.

He was going through the motions of a usual day and it broke Seijis' heart to see this. Considering what he knew and didn't know at least.

Trying to be cool about it, Seiji asked,

"How was your day?"

"Hm? Oh uneventful. Work is work, you know...the usual."

"I see...nothing happened after work?"

"No, why would something happen?"

Seiji rubbed the back of his head and gulped, not knowing what to say at this point. The look Sono was giving him was unsettling. So, to ease the mood, he smiled and mentioned about a broken printer at his publishing company, to which Sono smiled and turned his back to him to start chopping veggies. This made Seiji especially nervous considering how badly he was shaking right now.

The younger watched him intently, trying to keep the conversation as far away from the elephant in the room as possible...

But when Sono stopped chopping and Seiji stopped talking, that's when the mood shifted drastically...

"Sono?"

"..."

"Hey I didn't mean it like that, I...I just-"

"I know what you're doing, Seiji and...and I appreciate it...but it doesn't change things. It doesn't change that somewhere...out there...he's got my face in his books and the things he wants to do to it...it's maddening...I don't know how to feel or what to say or how to act. Am I supposed to be shocked? I knew this would happen eventually. I'm not stupid...I'm just..."

He trailed off, not turning but lowering his head. Seiji stood from his chair, but didn't make any other movements. He had a general idea of what the man was trying to say...conflicted.

Sono was 100% conflicted about this whole thing. This was Takeo. The man who ruined his adolesance. The man who nearly killed him on their graduation night...

...the man who was, technically, Sonos' first love. Who wouldn't be confused on how to feel?

"I remember...after graduation...mom and Oto had to go out of town to check out apartments for him and Oto had so badly wanted me to come. But I was too afraid to leave the house. And father stayed with me, by my side the whole time. It was part of his way to make up for the horrible things he did to me...and it was nice...but you know what, it doesn't change what he did. My father still hurt me...still called me terrible names...I'll always have a scar from that. I don't know if I could ever fully forgive my father for what he did to me..."

Seiji listened intently, trying to close in on a point Sono was trying to make. But when he heard an intake of breath, he knew to keep quiet and continue listening.

"I tried to fully forgive my father, I really did. There was a night where I had a sickening nightmare, that both Takeo and my dad decided I...would be better off dead. I woke up screaming and my dad came rushing in, panicking. When he saw that I was in tears, he held me, kissed me and told me everything was ok, that Takeo was gone. But having him hold me like that...It made things worse...I was terrified of my father again...I tried pushing him away, but I was so scared I didn't have the strength. Even now, after all these years and everything is alright again...I still have a hurtful mark that Kenji Hanasaki left on me that I don't know that I can ever forgive..."

The blond gripped the counter, trying to level his breathing. Seiji watched as he tried to contain himself.

"I had a nightmare last night...I dreamt Takeo found his way into my home and...strangled me to death...but that's not the worst of it...the worst is unlike my father to where I tried to push him away, I accepted it with Takeo. I accepted my death. What kind of sick irony is this...I didn't push Takeo away because I was alone...I pushed my father away because he made me feel alone...what is happening to my head, Seiji...I don't know what to do...I feel like...if he showed up...if Takeo did find me there'd be no way for me to push away...I'd let him kill me...and I'd forgive him for it...damnit, why? Why am I like this? Why am I so eager to accept death by someone I used to love but so hesitant to be held by my own father...?!"

Sono was in tears by this point. There was no hiding it. He slid down the counter to his knees, sobbing and resting his head against a counter door. It had been brewing in his head for so long and now that he just threw it out for Seiji to hear, he couldn't take it. It was eating him alive to feel this way.

By now, Seiji had been a silent spectator. The minute Sono had fallen to the floor, he was by his side, holding him close and kissing his knuckles. Just the feeling of pure love in his form made Sonos tears dry up in seconds, though his eyes were red and puffy, tired and exhausted.

Seiji wrapped his arms around him and said,

"No more, Sono. Don't talk like this...this isn't you. The reason you're feeling this way is because the Takeo you remember helped you through your fathers abuse before becoming another source of pain for you. That's why you can't let this go. Your father loves you. Takeo does not...not the way you think he did. But I'm here and I love you. And I'm not letting you go. I've told you this. I made a promise to you that I'd protect you from him, didn't I?"

Sono didn't say anything so Seiji continued.

"No one and I mean no one is killing you. I'd gladly die for you in that instance."

Memories of Naokis death flooded Sonos mind and he shook his head, wanting to tell Seiji no but the man was quick to read his mind.

"You're not talking me out of this. I've made up my mind. I promised you I'd be there for you. I'm young, I'm stubborn. He's not going to break me easily. I fight for what I love and what I love is you. He's going to need a bulldozer to take me down to get to you. Believe me...if anything happened to you...no. I won't allow myself to think this way. I'll take down whatever he throws at me."

Seiji kissed the blonds head and rocked him back and forth on the floor. Sono didn't know what to say, but allowed his already tired eyes to flow more tears. He cried in his lovers shirt, trying so hard to keep calm, but judging by how Seiji was handling this, which was a hell of lot better than he was now, he let everything out. He was in hysterics.

They embraced on that kitchen floor for hours, Seiji hadn't let go for a second. Sono had stopped crying a while ago, only to rest his head against the younger mans chest. They had linked hands and occasioanly, Seiji brought his hand up to kiss his loves pale fingers. Sono was in absolute awe at how well Seiji was taking all this in.

"How?"

"Hm?"

"How can you be so calm about this...?"

"I have to be. If you saw me freaking out and crying, you'd think everything was impossible. It's my duty to be your rock when you need me and vice versa should it arise. Right now, you need me to be strong for you and damnit, I'll be the steardiest rock you've ever seen."

Seiji smiled and leaned his head back against the counter, closing his eyes. But Sono continued to stare up at him with an oddly satisfied expression. Somehow, hearing Seiji say all that was the most comforting thing he needed to hear. Smiling to himself, he curled his head against the mans neck and shut his own eyes, calming his aching brain.

Eventually, Sono had fallen asleep on the kitchen floor and Seiji had gotten him comfortable in bed before he recieved a text from Yasuda, asking about their upcoming volume. Taking this chance to see his friend, but not to be too far from his love, he opted to meet Yasuda at a near by coffee shop, to which his friend was quick to agree.

He met Yasuda at the shop about 20 minutes later, hearing him nag about about being late and the cliche apologies. They sat inside, ordered two plain coffees and talked business for over an hour.

Pretty soon, Seiji could tell Yasuda was losing interest in their business talk and came right out with,

"How's Sono doing? You mentioned his traumatic like blast from the past. Is he coping well?"

"As well as he can, I guess. I actually just left his apartment after he went to sleep. He's...doing the best he can with what he has."

"I can only imagine. The poor guy. Takeo is one of Japans most wanted and Sono's caught in the middle...how are you handing it?"

"About the same. I need to stay strong for him. But damn, Yasuda...it's like he's a zombie half the time now. And he's putting on faces to make me think he's alright when I can see he's clearly not well. I'm worried about him. I've never seen him like this before."

"Have you talked to your publisher about this? If you keep worrying like this, it'll interfere with your work. Just tell him a family matter has come up...well, then again, Sono isn't really family, but-"

"Not yet, anyway. I've put some thought into that."

Yasuda spit his coffee out so fast that other patrons were staring at them. But Seiji looked unphased as his friend jumped up, proclaming,

"Hold the hell up! What do you mean, not yet?! Is there something you need to tell me, baka?"

Seiji smiled and waved him off, standing up and set his money down for his coffee, patting Yasudas shoulder, saying they'd talk later. He bolted out of the coffee shop, ignoring his friends yells at him.

In truth, him saying it only made him wonder about it more. It had been burning in Seijis mind for a number of months. Hell, a good chunk of his paychecks went into this. Speaking of which, now that he was thinking about it, he pulled out his phone, dialing a number and waited.

He spoke with a man for a few moments, discussing some details and after a while, Seiji hung up his phone, smiling to himself, all while not paying attention to his friend running after him in a frenzy.

"Hold the phone, you idiot!"

Yasuda finally caught up with him, breathing heavily and leaning his hand against his friends shoulder, all while Seiji came him such an blank look.

"You...you're being serious. You're being seriously serious?"

"About what?"

"Don't play dumb! Are you seriously considering...asking him?"

Seiji shrugged, a blush on his face.

"It's...crossed my mind. More than I can count."

"You realize if you do this...that if you go through with that and people find out...the media will blow it up to be this big scandle, right? I don't want you both to get hurt just because you love each other and-"

"God, you sound like Sono lately. Always trying to talk me out of things. Hehe. I've weighed out the options, I know the reprocutions. And I don't care. I'm tired of allowing my relationship with him to take a back seat just because of his stupid 'reputation'. And right now..."

Seiji stopped for a moment, staring at the streets, watching people pass them by. Some people were stopping to stare at them, but Yasuda saw the gears in his friends head turning at full speed. And finally, after a few moments of silence, Seiji continued.

"...right now, he needs me. If I do chicken out of this, then it won't change things between us. I'll always be there...even if he pushes me away like he used to do with others..."

Seiji finally stopped and let out a breath of air. Yasuda was awestruck. This was the most mature he had ever seen his best friend in ages.

"You really love him, don't you?"

"I do, Yasuda. More than I thought I'd ever love someone."

"...then you're still an idiot, but you'd even even more of one if you didn't try. No doubt he'd be shocked. Haha, but the two of you are perfect together. So I can't stop you."

"No way you'd be able to. Haha. I win now drop the subject."

The two men nodded and gave each other quick high fives before seperating down the road, Yasuda heading down to the bus station while Seiji heading back to the apartment, wondering if Sono was awake by now.

A silly blush graced his cheeks at the thought of him walking into his lovers room, seeing a sleepy blond rubbing his eyes and giving him a look of pure adorableness.

Then that thought faded in seconds as he recalled a day where he showed up to Sonos home early in the morning, walking in with so much happy energy and wanting to share it with his love.

He was not greeted with adorableness, nor he was not greeted with a sleepy sexy blond...he was greeted with the aura of absolute death and a glare so sharp Seiji felt it deep in his organs, suddenly fearful for his life.

Stopping in his tracks, Seiji felt the chill of Sonos wrath of being rudely awoken travel down his spine once more. Perhaps he'd take a walk before he went back to check on him.

He eventually returned to the apartment 2 hours later, having sitting at a nearby park to people watch. Spring was definantly making an apperance even through the chill of remaining winter.

He had overheard some women talking about the cherry blossoms blooming soon and had an internal debate of taking Sono there to...once again, a blush graced his cheeks and he shook his head. Less time worrying about that, more time taking care of his lover.

Stepping into the apartment, he announced his arrival and heard a call from the kitchen. Taking off his shoes and walked into the suddenly warm home (Sono must've woken up to turn on the heater), he walked into the kitchen, seeing his blond lover leaning against the counter, drinking a glass of water. He didn't look as tired and his stress lines were nearly gone. He must've had a great nap.

Smiling, Seiji walked towards him and pressed a kiss to his forehead, making Sono give a small smile.

"Where were you? I woke up about 45 minutes ago and you weren't here."

"I had some work to care of with Yasuda."

"Oh? How is Yasuda-san? I haven't seen him for a while."

"He's the same. Giving me the business when I forget or when I already get it from you. But he's good. He asked about you and your...situation."

The glass froze on Sonos lips after that was said and he mumbled,

"He knows?"

"You know he knows. He's just as worried about you. I didn't know what else to tell him."

"No it's alright...he's your trusted friend...and I trust him too...he deserved to know I guess."

Seiji said nothing, but wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him close. Sono felt warm in his embrace, but was still shaken a bit. The younger man kissed his temple, asking,

"Did you at least sleep well?"

"A little. I had a headache but I must've slept through it...no dreams though, so I guess no dreams are better than bad dreams."

Seiji nodded, not sure of what to say to this. He watched his love drink his water slowly, feeling the rippling affects over his skin. Looking up at the clock, he noticed it was getting close to 7 pm and he really didn't feel like heading home. Not while Sono was still in a state of shock.

Nuzzling his hair, he asked,

"How about this. I'll stay the night with you, just so you feel more comfortable. Then tomorrow, I'll walk half way with you to work, we'll get some coffee and when we get off, we'll head to my place and work until 6 like we always do, snuggle on my couch and spend the rest of the evening in each others arms until you decide you're sick of me and head home. Does that sound good?"

An amused chuckle sounded from Sonos throat and he nodded.

"Sure. Aside from the snuggling and the me getting sick of you. Knowing us, we'll spend more time touching each other than actually working. And even though I have this...twisted thing going on in my life right now, I'd rather it not interfere with my work nor do I want it messing with yours. Clear?"

"Crystal."

The blond smiled bigger and tilted his head up for a kiss. It was a short kiss, but it made him shiver.

After breaking apart, Seiji smiled at him, setting his glass down on the counter and whispered in his ear,

"Let's go take a bath. You could use a little relief. And I'm sure the hot water would relax these tense muscles."

To emphasize the tense part, Seiji lightly squeezed his loves shoulders, seeing how he gasped and winced all at once. But when he calmed down, he chuckled to himself.

"You don't play fair, Seiji. Using my stress to your advantage. Very well. Two can play this game."

Sono leaned up and kissed his lover hard, wrapping his arms around his neck and running his fingers through his brown hair. A growl of surprise came from Seijis mouth and his own hands caressed his hips.

With no other words, Seiji hoisted the blond up and felt his thin legs wrap around his waist, never breaking their kiss. The man guided them to the blonds bathroom, shutting the door with his foot.

In the midst of their passion, both men failed to remember their cell phones sitting on the dining room table. Seijis phone starting ringing and the caller I.D showed the number Yakura had given them for contact.

Sonos phone also rang.

The number was unknown.


	4. Chapter 4

As to be expected, it was quiet in the blonds apartment, not to mention chilly. The heat was slightly overbearing outside and even at night, it wouldn't let up. Sono had began to keep his air conditoner pumping cold air just to stay sane.

But this left him slightly uneasy. Not so much the cold air, but the sense that someone was watching him. He had so much on his mind as it was.

Several days ago, there a missed call on his phone from an unknown number. He had tried to call it back, but it claimed the number was no longer in service. Normally, he would've pushed this off as nothing.

But with Takeo suddenly back in the picture, it made his insides churn. Had the man found his cell phone number? And if he did, was he also in hold of his address?

His head was spinning and he wasn't handling it well. Even as he sat as his desk to work, he found his mind going off in other directions. He had tried calling Seiji, but knew that the man was busy with 'personal work concerns'. Plus, Sono didn't want to come off as too clingy. He was trying to stay the mature one here. He was not a child.

Setting his pen down, he ran his hands through his hair, trying to stay calm. The cold air was making him paranoid.

Had he not gotten that strange call, he wouldn't be acting this way. But now he felt like he was back to square one. Closing his eyes, gripping his hair harder, he started mumbling to himself.

"He's not here...he's not here...he's not..."

So many memories flashed in his brain and none of them helped his situation.

Especially the sudden shrill of the door bell didn't help. It scared him out of his wits and nearly out of his chair. Gulping, he got up and walked to his phone, answering it with a shaking hand.

"H-Hello?"

"I have gifts of tea and delicious Daifuku if you open the door."

Sono sighed a deep sigh of relief upon hearing his boyfriends voice. Hanging up the phone and unlocking the door, he let Seiji in and noticed in seconds the absolute glow that surrounded him. Not to mention the pink bag in his hand, holding what he could only assume was the promised Daifuku.

Seiji had set the bag down on the couch and the tea on the coffee table, turning quickly to kiss his lovers lips before he even asked a question. He squeaked in the kiss, not able to return it as Seiji pulled away with a huge smile.

"Sono Hanasaki, would you like to be my date to the upcoming festival?"

...

Where did that come from?

A blush creeped on Sonos cheeks and he backed up a little, a confused look in his eyes. Seiji chuckled and filled in the blanks.

"Hello? The Tenjin Festival? Happens every year? Ring a bell?"

It did. Of course it did. It held a special place in Sonos heart, at lease professioanly speaking.

The Tenjin Festival was one of the bases for Seiji Yamadas first published works. It was the work Sono had discovered and it was the work that made him fall hard for the artist.

So to say that Seiji was inviting him as...wait...

"Date?"

"Yeah. My publisher gave us all passes for the river prossesion. He rented this big boat for all of us and everyone is encouraged to bring someone. We're going to be right on the water when the fireworks got off. It's going to be amazing. So I'm asking. Would you like to be my plus one, or my date?"

"Seiji I...do you know what you're asking? I mean, I'd have to give you a fake name and-"

"No. No fake names. I know exactly what I'm asking and I'm prepared to face it. I don't want you to come with me as Miroku or Tenshi...I want you to come with me as Sono..."

The speed of this proposal was so quick, Sono didn't know how to respond to it. He wasn't even sure he was hearing the man correctly.

The look on Seijis face was absolutley genuine. And slightly impatient for an answer. The blond couldn't believe his ears.

Seiji wanted their relationship to be public. No more hiding. Hell, it wouldn't even be public if no one really recognized Sono anyway so it would be a win win.

He smiled.

"You're not giving me much chance to say no, are you?"

Seiji moved so quickly it was insane. He hugged Sono so tightly and spun him around, kissing his neck, his cheeks, his nose, any skin he could find.

The blond was surprised at all this affection, but laughed as it tickled here and there. His earlier worries seemed to have vanished as Seiji set him down and kissed his forehead, then running to the bag, pulled out a box and opened it, reveiling 6 sections of what looked to be Purin daifuku...one of his favorites.

Combined with the tea, which tasted like sweetened matcha, Sono suddenly grew suspicious.

"Seiji...is there something else I need to know?"

"Hm? Why do you ask?"

"Well, don't get me wrong, the sweets and the tea are amazing. But the sudden proposal to be your date, making us public...it's just...not like you."

"You saying I can't spoil the love of my life? Heh, c'mon Sono. This isn't the craziest I've thought of so far. You're going to love every little surprise I have in store for you. So just let me take care of you once in a while. Ok?"

Seiji smiled and popped a treat in his mouth, all while Sono stared at him, slowly chewing on his Daifuku. All the worries in the world, his world, had vanished like they were nothing. Hearing Seiji go on and on about this festival put him in such a better mood. The apartment no longer felt cold; it felt warm, with such a hint of home.

They sat on the couch, finishing their treats and tea while going over their work. Sono noticed how...touchy Seiji was being. He had wrapped his arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer to him and running his fingers through his hair. His fingertips would casually touch his neck, making him shiver.

Those fingers trailed under his shirt to lightly caress his back and he jumped a little. He suddenly felt so nervous with all these subtle touches...

It only made him gasp when Seiji pushed him back on the couch, kissing his neck with such tenderness. The blush on his cheeks darkened as he gasped, caressing Seijis head.

"G-god...what's gotten i-into you tonight?"

"I feel like I've neglected you for that last few days. And I'm sorry. I know you're going through a lot and I should be here with you at all times to help you."

"Seiji..."

"I know nothing's happened now, but I can't be too careless...I can see what carelessness has done to you though..."

Unsure of what he meant, Sono tried to sit up, but Seiji answered his question by reaching into his skirt and touched his stomach. That light touch made him tremble, but he now understood Seijis immediant concern.

In the last few days, Sono had forgotten that eating was crucial part of surviving. And while he did some small snacking here and there, he didn't realize how much weight he had actually lost. The combined stress didn't make it easier.

"Oh Seiji I...I'm sorry. So much has happened and-"

"I know. I'm not mad. Just worried. I want to be with you at all times, but I also want to respect that you need space and time for yourself. I don't want to come off as pushy and overbearing to you. Just promise me that you'll take care of yourself when I'm not here. Ok?"

"Heh, no promises...bad joke...ok yes I promise."

Sono chuckled to himself, but Seiji remained silent, his hand still resting on his lovers stomach. Moving his fingers up, caressing his chest. It made Sono shiver and arch against the couch. In fact, he felt his skin quiver and goosebumps appeared on his arms and legs.

"Is this ok? You're shaking an awful lot."

"I'm fine...just...skins a bit sensitive today..."

Seiji nodded and removed his hand from the blonds shirt, leaning up to kiss his lips softly, rubbing his cheeks with his thumbs.

When they broke apart, the man smiled.

"Your dark circles are less visible."

"I've been taking sleeping pills here and there, though it's not much. Especially with my work the way it's going. I'm more than caught up with my drafts, but my boss gives me side projects and it always seems to get in the way of other things...I might need to take a break. My head hurts and all I want to do is sleep..."

"And would you like me to stay tonight?"

Sono smilied under his arm, but shook his head.

"I'd like that, but I can't keep you away from your own work."

"Phft, what work. You know I can catch up with whatever I needed to get done."

"The answer is no, Seiji. But thank you...for now...I need some time to think. Thank you for the treats and tea. It meant a lot...and I feel so full."

Sitting up, Sono readjusted his shirt and stood, stretching his arms. As his arms were raised, he felt his lovers arms wrap around his waist and a kiss pressed to his neck.

In nearly a second, those hands trailed up to his raised arms, tickling him under his shirt and whispered,

"If you need anything, just let me know. I'm just a phone call away."

"Mmm, I know. Thank you, Seiji."

Twisting in his embrace, he pressed a kiss of his own against Seijis neck, inhaling his scent. The taller man smiled before walking over to the doorway for his stuff. Once he was settled, he slipped on his shoes and gave his blond one more kiss before saying his good nights.

Sono waved as he walked down the steps, shutting the door and pressing his head against it. He really didn't want to spend another night alone in his apartment, but he knew both of them had work to do that took up their free space.

He started shaking again, even as he heard his phone going off in the living room. His eyes widened.

Bolting towards his cell phone, he looked at the caller I.D., confused and more or less concerned.

He didn't answer it. He couldn't bring himself to do it. So he set it back down, letting it go to voicemail.

He stared at it for a moment, not seeing the light that went up when he had a voicemail. Letting out a sigh of relief, he walked away for a few moments...then he heard his phone ring again. Turning his head to face his phone, he saw that same unknown signal and his eyes grew wide.

He moved so quickly that he barley registered his movements. He removed the battery to his phone and threw it in the trash with a loud panicked gasp.

There. It was over. He didn't have to hear it anymore. Falling backwards over in his chair, he placed his hand over his pounding heart and took deep breaths.

There was no way it was him. It couldn't be.

The solution was so simple. He'd get a new number first thing in the morning. That way, he'd let everyone know that mattered.

But what if it was the police giving him updates? No, that couldn't be. Yakura and Oishi mentioned they'd contact Seiji with all the updates, just to give Sono a bit of breathing room.

His work would never go unknown. That was too stupid for them to do.

Could it have been his family trying to contact him? Had they heard what was going on in Osaka? Did they know that Takeo was back?

But why would they have unknown numbers...his head was spinning. He couldn't deal with this right now. Getting out of his chair, he walked into the kitchen to get some water, chugging it like it was alcohol, which sounded amazing at this point.

Standing on his toes to his secret stash, a stash Seiji never knew about, he pulled out a bottle of Awamori...something he had hidden for ages.

This was something he had set aside in great matters of stress...he hadn't opened this in years.

Popping the top off, he downed a quick swuige and immediantly felt the effects. He wasn't one to get drunk so quickly, but this...he was so stressed and his head was already swimming.

His apartment was so quiet and it was driving him insane. He should've taken Seiji offer to stay...now he was alone.

Alone, drunk and above all else, scared.

Sighing, he took another large drink and tried to stand up straight. To his drunken surprise, he was able to make it into his bedroom, collapsing on his bed and set the bottle on his nightstand, shutting his eyes.

While he didn't lie to Seiji about the sleeping pills, he did lie about another factor.

When he wasn't taking pills, he was drinking himself to sleep.

He hated lying to the man he loved, but he didn't know how else to deal with this. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine this to hurt him this hard.

Takeo was back...the sentance was forgein to his tongue and he scoffed, taking another drink. In the back of his head, he heard a little voice telling him to give up. Throw it in. He was literally in no position against him. He couldn't fight him in high school.

He was terrified of the possibility of not being able to fight again.

* * *

 _TBC._

 _Sorry for the short chapter! Lots of work to do to make things successful!_


	5. Chapter 5

The 25th of July was by far the day Seiji had been looking forward to the most. He was smiling all day at work, possibly scaring most of his co-workers. Hell, his own boss was a little freaked out due to the mans insane good mood.

But not a thing could bring him down. Yesterday, he and his friends watched the start of the festival near the temples and now, tonight, was the biggest night he could imagine.

Now, practically dancing around his apartment, trying to get things cleaned up, all he could think about was the night he had planned. Sono was expected to come by for an early dinner, then they were going to head to the river front to catch up with Seijis team. It was going to be magic...

"Damnit, why am I so nervous?!"

Seiji yelled at his empty home, hands ruffling his own hair. He had admitted to himself for a while that what he wanted to do was going to take an immense amount of balls to pull through.

Especially considering the recent events that had Sono reeling in a mess of emotions, he had been hoping this would take his mind off it.

It was now or never, the way he saw it. And it was perfect.

Nodding to himself, he ran to take a quick shower before starting dinner. But as he turned the water on and stepped inside to shower, the last few days passed through his mind and he frowned.

Yakura had called him the day before to inform him that there was no major change in Takeos direction and that his whereabouts were still unknown, but the chances of him being in Osaka were shockingly high. This made Seiji increadibly nervous, not to mention it didn't help Sonos anxiety in the slightest.

But Seiji had to give his lover props. The blond was trying so very hard to not let this get to him. The breakdown he had in his kitchen several weeks ago had become a distant memory to him, but Seiji would never forget it. The look of sheer fear and sadness all over his lovers face was something he never wanted to see again.

Holding him close as he cried, fearful for his life and yet hesitant to fight it, willing to accept his death even before it happened...

Seiji stopped washing his body, almost feeling tears in his eyes. Sono had been through so much already and now this was popping up out of every corner in his brain. He was determined to make sure he never felt this way again. Even if he had to keep fighting for him.

With a new hope in his heart, Seiji blinked away his tears and continued to wash himself and his hair, smiling as he did so.

Once he finished his shower, he was quick to grab a towel and dry off, putting on a pair of sweat pants and roughly dry his hair before tossing the towel in his hamper. Sighing in relief, his smile grew as he walked to the kitchen to cook a quick meal of soup and rice, combined with his lovers favorites:

Eggplant tempura with tentsuyu sauce, and chicken Gyoza. It was small, but filling enough to keep them going for the night. And he internally thanked Kami for reminding him to do grocery shopping just before he took his walk home. Otherwise, he would have instantly forgotten and had to rush it.

He cooked these items many times before and now he had it down to a science; he grinned a child like grin as he cooked. Everything was already coming along so well.

As he fried the eggplant, he heard his cell phone going off and had to juggle his balance to grab it off the dining room table.

"Hello?"

 _"Ah Seiji-san. It's Yakura. I hope I'm not inturupting anything."_

"No, you're fine. Haha. I'm just cooking dinner. Sono should be here soon and then we're heading out after we eat. Are you and Oishi going to see the fireworks?"

 _"I wish we could, but this case has us tied down. Speaking of which, how is he doing...since our first visit?"_

"Um...he's getting better. I think he's slowly trying not to think about it. The less time he spend worrying about Takeo, the better. Have you...found anything?"

 _"Oh it would make me happy to say yes, but unforunitly, we're coming up dry. Thankfully though, nothing huge has happened. No murders, nothing like that. So we're slowly tracking him down."_

"Ahh that's good. He'll be at the very least happy to hear that much."

A knock at the front door nearly scared him and he jumped, almost dropping the phone. Excusing himself from the conversation and hanging up the phone, he turned off the burners and set the table in such speed. Then he bolted for the door, peering through the peephole and smiled wide.

He opened the door and grinned.

"You're early. I wasn't expecting you for another 15 minutes."

"I was bored sitting at home. Plus I figured I'd change here so I brought the clothes you wanted me to wear. Haha. I won't lie. I never thought I'd be dressing in black tonight. But after looking at myself in the mirror earlier, I like it. Good choice. But never pick my clothes again. I'm 32, not 12."

Seiji laughed and kissed his lovers forehead, nodding and mentioning him to put his clothes on the couch before coming into the kitchen.

Sono didn't need to even guess what smells were hitting his nose. From his lovers body wash to whatever was in the kitchen, it all smelt wonderful. Placing his festival clothes on the couch, he walked into the kitchen and his eyes widened at the set up.

Seiji had...outdone himself here. It looked fantastic. Not to mention the two glasses of sake on each side.

Taking a seat in his chair while Seiji sat opposite of him, he took another glance at the table as his lover started building his plate.

The food looked and smelt familier...almost like it was something from his childhood. Things his mother used to make for him and his brother...

Eggplant...chicking Gyoza...something in his brain started turning and he furrowed his brow at his lover, who had been patiently waiting on him with a smile.

"Is there...something I need to know about, Seiji?"

His smile never fading, Seiji picked up his glass, twirled the liquid in it a few times while asking,

"Why do you ask, love?"

"Well...this meal...you made my favorites...but I haven't even...I mean...usually when someone makes my favorite foods, it means something good is about to happen."

"And what makes you say that?"

"It's just, my mother used to make this for me whenever she or father took me out to places...to make me feel better about things. Whenever I felt like my life was crashing, she'd make this for me and then...I don't know...something big would happen and then things would be better...and when did I ever mention I liked eggplant tempura and gyoza to you?"

"Hey now, when I wanted to learn more about you, I also wanted to know everything you liked. And...I may have found your mothers 'mommy blog' and she mentioned this. So I cheated. Sue me."

Seiji laughed to himself and sipped his wine, all while his lover was red in the face and almost ready to burst.

"You...you know how creepy that is, right?"

"Oh I know. But if it benefits you, I call it a win. Relax, it's not like I emailed her and asked, 'Hey, I'm dating your youngest son. What did he like to eat a lot of growing up?' No doubt I'd hear the end of it."

"Or worse, me never hearing the end of it. Oh god, if my family found about you, I'd have my father calling me every second to demand what I'm thinking. And god forbid Oto found out. He tracked Takeo down for months and was ready to kill him for what he did to me at graduation and after they found out he was responsable for Naokis death and-"

Sono suddenly stopped talking and downed the wine so fast, Seiji was almost astounded. But he knew why he stopped so quickly. He hadn't even brought up anything yet and Sono was the one treading in dark territory. Tonight wasn't about those bad memories.

It was about making new ones.

Sono set his glass down and gave a nervous chuckle.

"I'm sorry, Seiji...I don't know where that all came from..."

He had a faint blush on his cheeks and Seiji couldn't help but smile. He reached across the table to take his hand, caressing his knuckles and said,

"Don't worry about it. I kinda get it. Haha. If my family found out I was with a guy, they would have asked a lot of questions too. My mom especially. She would have been a mix of really excited and really interested in the other person. I think she'd have liked you a lot."

"R-really?...Heh I think my mother would like you too, Seiji. She always wanted me to just be happy. With Oto, it was simple. He had a lot of friends, had an amazing girlfriend who eventually became his wife...so she never really worried him. But me? Haha, I was getting into ridiculious fights in school, didn't make friends until Junior High and was abused most my life...so to see how happy you make me...I think she'd absolutley adore you...do you...talk with your family much, Seiji?"

The smiled Seiji had faded a little and suddenly, Sono felt like he had overstepped. But the man looked at him and said,

"I would. But um...heh, they're not around much anymore. My parents...well...they died when I was just getting into Junior High...I was adopted by one of their closest friends. Really awesome man. He was the chief of police for 20 years before he settled back into being a cop. You'd love him, Sono. Such an oddball sometimes. Haha, he and my dad were always pushing me to strive for better in my life and when I mentioned that I wanted to be a manga-ka, Hyonshu, the guy who adopted me, pretended to make a big old fuss about it. Literally 2 hours after that conversation, he went out and got me this whole set of start up pens, paper, the works...oh damn I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I'm so sorry. Here I am, bragging about my life when...ehh..."

Seiji went brick red, unable to find an out to this awkward situation he had gotten himself into. And when Sono laughed, patting his brown hair, it made him feel better.

"Quite the opposite. I enjoy hearing this. You've never mentioned you were adopted, Seiji. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Probably for the same reason you didn't tell me about your life before...I didn't want you to think differently of me. It's not something you bring up so casually...not unless you trust the person with everything you have...that's why I was happy you trusted me with your life. I felt like I could better understand you."

"Oh Seiji...I trust you more than anyone I've ever known...and thank you...for trusting me with this knowledge...haha we're horrible at keeping things from each other. We need to just be open. I won't keep secrets from you if you promise to always be honest with me. Alright?"

Seiji smiled a smile that he kept in for what seemed like years. That was exactly what he wanted to hear from him.

"Promise."

And with that, the men started eating, quite surprised their food remained hot all this time. The looks on Sonos face reminded Seiji of a young child when presented with sweets. The tempura was perfect and the gyoza was fried beautifully, so much so that Sono asked for seconds.

After their meal, Sono excused himself to change while Seiji cleaned the dishes before changing himself. He set his clothes out on his bed and after looking at the clock, he noticed that had an hour before the boat took off. Plenty of time.

Seiji quickly got dressed in his formal clothing which consisted of a white blazer and grey pants with black dress shoes. He debated on a tie, then decided against it for a dark grey coat. Spraying some cologne on his neck, he sighed.

His boss owed him bigtime for all this idiotic dress up like this was some black tie event.

The bathroom door opened and when he turned his head to address his lover, he stopped midsentance and blushed.

Ok...he could excuse his boss this one time.

Sono was dressed in a black short sleeved dress shirt, black dress pants, and black boots. His shirt he left open on the first two top buttons, exposing his collar bone. Combined with his pale skin and long golden hair, he was by far the most beautiful thing Seiji ever layed eyes on.

Said blond blushed, mumbling,

"Why are you gawking? You're the one who picked these out for me. I think I look damn good in this. Don't you?"

"Do I? Well let's see."

Seiji glided over and wrapped his arms around his lovers waist, pulling him close to his form. The blush on Sonos cheeks faded as a smirk took its place.

"So I see. Well, I guess I should take your advice more often. Heh. Shall we go?"

"Lets."

With smiles on their face, they left Seijis apartment and made their way to the taxi drop, where the younger hailed a cab to the river front. Along the way, Sono made a subtle movement to smell his lovers shirt, eyes closing and smiling at the smell.

It smelt like rain with a hint of Seijis own smell; it made him feel comfortable.

After making it to the river front, Seiji payed the driver and they made their way to where his boss was. And he had to admit.

The boat was NICE. It looked expensive as all hell, but his boss was never one to be cheated out of treating his employees right.

His boss caught sight of the two and smiled, waving them down as Seiji waved back, noticing how Sono latched onto his arm.

"Yamada-kun! You made it! Ahhh and just in time too! We were about to take off. The fireworks start in half an hour and not everyones here yet! Oh ignore me, I'm just excited. It's the first time I actually get to participate in these things. I'm usually in Chiba around this time. Ahah. Oh and is this your plus one, Yamada?"

Seiji smiled, pulling Sono closer to him by his shoulder and said,

"Actually, this is my date, sir."

A soft pause surrounded the area and both men felt slightly nerved by it. Sono had a dark blush on his cheeks, eyes wide with surprise, while Seiji had a constant smile locked on his face, though he wasn't sure what his boss was thinking. But the bellowing sound of the mans laugh broke any kinds of tension in seconds.

"Your date, huh? I never knew you liked guys, Yamada. Good on you! And a cute one too. He's got such pretty golden hair too! And his skin is so pale...these pretty brown orbs...cute is the wrong word to use. He's stunning! Haha! He must be a male model and if so, I demand to know where you picked him up, Yamada! I'm so jealous!"

Sono could only give an awkward smile at such compliments. A male model? He wasn't THAT attractive, was he? Even Seiji gave an emmbaressed laugh and thanked his boss before nearly dragging them both up to the boat. Butting through a few people to get to the bow of the boat, they both laughed to themselves.

The blond moved some of his hair from his face and laughed out,

"A model? Seriously? Such an odd thing to say to someone you first meet."

"I know I know, and I'm sorry. Hahaha. I wasn't expecting him to fall for you on first glance. But see how easy that was? He didn't even ask your name."

"Yeah yeah I get it. You were right, not stop your bragging."

Seiji smiled and kissed the blonds temple, earning a punch to the shoulder in response.

After about 10 minutes, the boat set sail down the river, passing by many other boats and conversing with the rest of the people on board.

Somewhere along the way, Seiji heard his name being called and smiled when he saw his friend walking towards them.

"Yasuda! I didn't think you'd show."

"Oh shut your mouth, I wouldn't turn this down. It's a free front row seat to the fireworks...evening Sono-san. You're looking well."

"Thank you...I needed to get out of the apartment soon otherwise I would have cracked."

"I heard...are you alright? Have you both heard anything."

"No nothing. The detectives are having a hard time tracking his movements...can we not talk about this? It's supposed to be a good night."

"Seiji, it's ok...it needs to be addressed at some point. But I'm fine. The fear is still there, but when I'm with Seiji, it fades quickly. Thank you for your concern, Yasuda-san."

"Well good. This fool here worries about you a lot."

"Don't you have other people to annoy?"

Yasuda chuckled at his friends obvious irritation with the inturptions and said his byes before walking away. Seiji growled to himself before wrapping his arms around the blonds waist, settling his head in the crook of his neck, kissing his skin.

His friends medling annoyed him greatly and almost put him in a sour mood. But Sonos hands moved to touch his and he stared at them for a while, smiling to himself. He shouldn't let this sort of thing bother him. Not tonight...not ever.

The boat ride was soothing and pretty soon, the sounds of fireworks soared into the night sky. The lights, the sounds, people were hypnotized by the spectical.

Seiji loved the fireworks, not just for the usual love, but the way their lights illuminated everyones faces. His lovers espcially.

It was a face of wonder and of happiness, not one of fear nor sadness. The blasting colors brightened his brown eyes, a smile gracing his face.

One of his hands intertwined with Seijis at his waist, feeling his heart soar like the lights. He felt happy...happier than he had felt in days.

The amazed and wonderful sounds people made when the fireworks crackled made Seiji realise that he could drown out everything else...just to be with this one person...

Nuzzling his face into Sonos neck, kissing under his ear, he tightened his arms around his waist, occasionally biting at his ear lobe.

For Sono, it felt like that last several weeks of stress had flown by so fast. And judging from the way Seiji was getting extremely touchy, he had a feeling they'd be heading back home...which home though? Seijis home was closer, that was a given where as Sonos was an extra 15 minutes away.

Smiling to himself, he debated on playing hookey from work to spend the night at his lovers home, cuddled up and not doing a thing all day.

The middle part of the fireworks began as flowers formed in the sky, taking the blonds attention to the sky. It was giving him so many ideas for upcoming manga drafts. He'd have to remember to write all this down as soon as he got to a pen and paper.

The whole setting itself was beautiful and the perfect set up for a romantic climax of sorts. He could finally illistrate how he was feeling when he was happy and not just drawing erotica for the masses. Oh the ideas were flowing into his head, his brain turning its gears to new possibilites, new stories, new-

"Sono-san...marry me."

 _TBC_


	6. Chapter 6

A/N/: Are you ready for the cheesiest love scene I've ever written in my life...so far? Haha.

And just another quick note at the end, but a somewhat spoiler. There is a piece of information in this chapter that is actually pure fact. Like, I had to hunt for this information. Lol. Plus, I had a friend verify it's accuracy so here's hoping I wasn't trolled.

* * *

"Sono-san...marry me."

Wait...

What...

Did he hear that right?

Sono looked up at him so quickly with eyes wider than plates, confused. Seiji had moved his head away from his lovers neck to stare at him with a genuine look of adoration and love. But somewhere in the blonds mind he thought he was in the middle of a inside joke he had forgotten...stupid, but it was better than just jumping to conclusions.

Well, just to be sure...

"What?"

"You heard me the first time...marry me."

Many things took Sono Hanasaki by surprise, good or bad. This...this was on a whole other level. Still convinced it was something he wasn't in on, he averted his eyes with a blush on his cheeks, trying to pull away from Seijis hold.

But Seiji wasn't letting up so easily. He held his waist tightly, pulling him closer and stared him dead in the eye. Sono gulped down nearly every word he had wanted to say, with the only possible thing coming up being,

"You're...you're not serious."

A chuckle left Seiji, followed by a soft kiss to the head. Sono shivered at the gentle touch, but Seiji kept going on, whispering in his ear,

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life. I've thought about this for a long time. And I've never wanted anyone more than I want you. And I'll say it as many times as I have to to get my point across to you...marry me, Sono-"

"I heard you already...Seiji...I...we can't do that...it's...Japan hasn't allowed it and-"

"Do you really think I didn't do my research on this before I made up my mind? We'll go to Shibuya and sign a partnership cert. I know it's not exactly the same, but it's close enough for me. Sono, I've thought about asking you this for a long time. Things that have happened these last few weeks...they've only made me love you more and want to be there for you, for every moment now and onward. I want to share our lives. I won't force an answer out of you, but I will continue to fight for you...I love you."

Seiji wanted so badly to kiss him then and there, but combined with the crowded boat plus Sonos unbelievably stunned expression, he didn't want to push it. He just needed to hear the blonds answer before he went crazy.

By now, every scenario that had played in Sonos head had stopped dead after such a confession. He wasn't sure how to respond to this...what was the correct response...

Closing his eyes, he leveled it in his mind. Seiji Yamada...asked him to marry him. There was no misinterpreting this.

One half of him weighed out the horrible things that could come from this. And the one that stuck out in his head was Takeo.

With that threat out there, should he find out about Seiji, it could be chaos. Sono would never forgive himself if anything happened to the man because of him.

But...the other half of him pushed those thoughts away and he smiled. He loved Seiji, why was he second guessing this. He wanted to be with him forever, no matter what.

They'd protect each other, they'd take care of each other, they'd provide for each other...where was the flaw? He couldn't see it.

Finally opening his eyes to look into his lovers brown eyes, he gave an amused laugh.

"You're not giving me much of a chance to say no, are you?"

It wasn't a yes, but it definitely wasn't a no and Seiji could handle that for now. A big smile formed on his face and he nearly tackled the blond, holding him tightly to his chest, kissing his hair before bringing his face up to kiss his lips.

At first, the blond was nervous, afraid that someone was watching them, but right now, he couldn't care. They were more distracted with the fireworks than them. With that thought in mind, he wrapped his arms around Seijis shoulders, kissing back with such love, the younger man felt his heart burst.

From the other side of the boat, Yasuda was chatting with a female co-worker, only to catch sight through the crowds of people of his best friend kissing his what could assume was fiancee now. And he smiled, giving Seiji a mental thumbs up. He couldn't be happier for him now. He had everything he could ever want. Months of pestering him had looked to have payed off. Turning his attention back to his co-worker, he couldn't help but imagine those two living such an odd life together. It made him laugh to himself, apologizing to his co-worker, who gave him a look of confusion.

The fireworks finale was starting to come to a close and the two men broke apart, staring at each other. They started laughing to themselves before Seiji kissed the blonds forehead, holding him closer to his body.

The sudden urge to touch Seiji became horribly overwhelming for Sono and it took all his willpower to hold back. It would be another 20 minutes before they reached shore, not to mention another 15 of the cab ride back to Seijis home. He could hold out for a little while, but his heart was racing. He looked up at his lover and whispered loud enough for him to hear,

"I want to go home..."

Seiji silently agreed, praying to God that this ride would be over soon.

And the powers that be decided to drag this out more than it needed to. Once the boat returned to their front, the boss thanked everyone for coming and as soon as people piled off, they were stopping to talk to co-workers, Seiji included, asking his opinion of the night, how things were going with work, the man he was locking arms with...tightly, they noticed.

He was as nice as he could be in such a situation. His blood was boiling and his temper was starting to reach it's limit of patience. Eventually, he was able to break free of any sort of conversation and drag Sono into a cab to take them home. During the cab ride, however, Sonos own patience snapped and his hand found it's way to his lovers crotch, massaging him gently, kissing his neck.

Seiji stiffled a gasp and a sudden moan, biting his lip as his blond lover so effortlessly stroked him through his pants. This was bold, even for him. Sono wasn't the type to person to act with PDA, but he had taken the last hour and turned it right around. The message was clear.

Sono wasn't waiting anymore. And for that matter, Seiji wasn't either. He leaned over and whispered in his ear,

"Let's take a shower when we get home. Be easier to punish you for teasing me like this."

Punish? For some reason, that word made the blond moan to himself, thinking of all the things Seiji could do just in the shower. He forced himself to let go of his lovers clearly straining cock as the cab pulled up to the apartments. Seiji was quick to pay and they were out of the cab in less than a minute. The cab driver blushed. He had seen what was going on in his back seat throughout the drive, but was respectful enough to not say a word. He simply drove off, not thinking about it, but slowed down a bit to see the two in his side mirror making out in the walkway like horny teenagers. He smiled. Ahhh young love, he thought to himself as he drove away.

They made love twice, after such torturous foreplay in the shower, and both times were more intense and more powerful with each second. This is what Seiji wanted from the start. To see his usual composed love stray away from the stress and fear of his life, to just feel and be loved, to feel every ounce of euphoria.

It lasted for what seemed like hours. And by the time Sono screamed out his last orgasm of the night, the younger man felt all his strength explode along side his own essence.

The energy that Seiji had to hold his lover up vanished in seconds, falling forward on top on the blond, who was still holding onto him like his life depended on it. His legs were still wrapped around his hips, those hands holding his shoulders and head tightly and by god, he was shaking hard.

It was quiet, save for their panting. Seiji felt a small chunk of energy returning to his arms and looked up at his lovers face, a tired smile gracing him.

That red blush on his cheeks had exploded, fading into a bright pink flush. His forehead was sweaty, having his hair stick to his skin.

Finally those brown eyes opened, seeing Seiji looking at him and gave him a gentle smile. Seiji let out a heavy chuckle and kissed him, only briefly and whispered,

"I love you...so much..."

"I love you too...thank you..."

Seiji grinned and kissed the blonds forehead, pulling out of his body slowly, feeling Sono gasp and moan in his neck. He too moaned as he pulled out of his body, suddenly not used to the cool air. Then he collapsed next to his lover, setting his hand on his neck and rubbed his pink face with his thumb.

Sono smiled at him, setting his own hand on Seijis, wincing a little as he felt warm seed leak out of his body. Seiji chuckled, getting close to him and whispered,

"Think you can go another round?"

"Shut up..."

Seiij giggled at him, then kissed his cheek, nuzzling his hair. Defiantly the best sex they had ever had.

He soon started peppering kisses all over the blonds face, making him laugh with little to no air.

"So, how about another shower?"

"How about you hush? I can't move my damn legs because of you."

"Hey, I didn't hear you complaining at all so you can't say anything. So vocal, Sono. I've never heard you scream like that before. Heh, now all my neighbors will know I'm taken and clearly happy."

Sono blushed and looked away, unable to hold back a smile. Damn Seiji and his contagious cheery ways.

Turning his head to face him, he was greeted with a soft kiss from Seiji before being pulled up to lay on the bed properly, covering them with the blankets. Sono suddenly felt dead tired. This entire day was a strain on his mind and body and he needed a night of restful sleep in order to recharge.

His eyes closed and he was ready to just sleep the day off.

"Oh! I almost forgot!"

Oh well.

Sono sighed and opened his eyes to see Seiji leaning over to his nightstand, rummaging for something.

"I wanted to give this to you on the boat, but I didn't think you'd like it in front of all those people. Plus, I figure just us is just as romantic."

Sono quirked his eyebrow, curious at what he meant. Pretty soon, Seiji settled himself back in and smiled a soft smile before saying,

"This time, I'll be proper and ask you rather than just voice what I want. Be a gentleman and all that jazz. So with that said..."

Sono looked at Seijis hand and saw a small black box; his eyes widened.

"...Sono Hanasaki..."

This really wasn't happening. His heart started thumping again to a new hight he wasn't aware of. The question on the boat was enough but this...

"...will you marry me?"

….this was enough to make him break into tears.

Seiji opened the box and what Sono saw made his brain implode with what he was looking at.

It was a ring, that was obvious, but it was the ring itself that made his heart hurt.

The ring was a solid white gold with what looked to be an opal gem as the center piece. It looked familiar...why did it look familiar?

Looking back up at Seiji, he had to do a few double takes and ask,

"You were really serious..."

"Give me a reason why I wasn't."

There they were. The tears that threatened to pool in his eyes all night finally made their appearance and he smiled, trying to wipe his eyes.

"God...I can't believe you, Seiji...I just can't believe you...I can't..."

Seiji couldn't help but smile bigger as Sono started to ramble while trying to wipe his tears away. But he moved closer to him, kissing his head and running his fingers through his hair.

Finally, after a long silence, Seiji removed the ring from the box and slipped it onto the blonds finger, pulling him from his frantic rambling. He stared at it for a long time, unsure of what to say. But Seiji answered for him and Sono was relieved that he did.

"You don't have to answer me now. Just wear it. It's yours whether you say yes or no. I want everyone to see that you're mine. That's all I'm asking for now."

Pressing a kiss to his nose, Sono smiled to himself and nodded. God bless Seiji for being such a patient man with him. With all these mixed emotions and feelings in his body, this proposal came as a shock to his senses.

So Seiji saying he'd be willing to wait just made him all the more happy.

They shared a gentle kiss before retiring to bed. And Sono had the most pleasant dreams for the first time in such a long time. For the first time in a long time...

He wasn't afraid.

* * *

A:N/ Want to know a fun fact? This is actually the censored chapter...wink wink


	7. Chapter 7

People were talking; they were all abuzz.

It was the talk of the manga community and it just never seemed to die down. And every time he heard it, he would sneak a smile to himself.

The infamous manga artist, Sono Hanasaki, the so called slut who slept with anything that moved, was now off the market.

In love...taken...commited...

Engaged.

That was the rumor mill now. And Sono knew to ignore it. He still had yet to give Seiji a straight answer, but his lover was more than commited to being patient with him during this stressful time. The ones who knew him personally saw the ring and instantly asked questions. Some just went right into the rumors and even after Sono explained he wasn't engaged but he was commited to someone, the rumors still spread.

Thank god only a few people had his name and face because this would've turned out ugly really fast.

Sitting at his desk at home, he couldn't bring himself to work. He would catch himself staring at the ring, smiling at it and start gushing like a school girl.

It hadn't even been a full week yet and already, he was considering saying yes. Just the idea made him spin in his work chair, happier than he'd ever been. There were times he'd catch himself dancing around his apartment, feeling the urge to pack everything and move in with Seiji then and there.

He would think of all the times he and Seiji met in public after that night. No longer was it just them hugging and going about their day. Seiji would get so excited to see him that he'd bolt full speed and kiss him with everything he had in him. Sono would kiss back, never thinking twice about it anymore.

And of course, people would stare, some would shake their heads, others would squeal and cheer, the latter being high school girls. The men would chuckle and go about their day, hand in hand.

And if Sono was feeling the affects of this new found joy in his life, Seiji was on cloud 9.

His work was taking a back seat to his love life, pampering his blond lover any chance he got. And Sono returned the favor quite often, paying for drinks, dinner and snacks here and there.

Hell, their sex life suddenly became 100 times more active and wild. Since that festival night, they had been having sex once every few days and sometimes in the most random of locations. Just recently, as Seiji was checking his mail, Sono came around the corner to visit him with a smile. One kiss to the neck later and the next thing he knew, he and Sono were going at it being the apartment building.

Just the memory of it would make Seiji drool and forget everything he was supposed to be doing, especially with Yasuda helping him.

"Oi, are you listening?"

Seiji awoke to the feeling of paper hitting his head and he turned quickly to see his friend standing there, an annoyed look on his face.

"Welcome back, Yamada. Care to help me finish YOUR work?"

"Damn...I'm sorry, Yasuda. I don't know why I can't stay focused today."

"I'll tell you why. You're love struck. Ever since you proposed to him, you two have been attached at the hip. And I'm fairly sure you need new sheets. Don't ask me how I know that...I'm happy for you, don't get me wrong but christ...we do need to buckle down and work, you know that."

Seiji pouted, but nodded. He felt terrible putting his friend to do his work while he dreamt of his blond lover and what they could be doing. In all honesty, work was the last thing he wanted to be doing.

As if a gift from the heavens, his cell phone made a loud shrill, making him bolt up and grab it, staring at the caller I.D. It wasn't Sono, but that wasn't what concerned him.

It was Oishi...he hadn't heard from them in a week, so he had assumed good news. Sighing, he flipped open his phone and answered the call.

"Hello?"

 _"Yamada-kun, it's Oishi. Listen, I know this is sudden, but it's important that we talk to Hanasaki-kun right away."_

"Sono? He's not with me though. He should be at home. Have you tried calling his number?"

 _"4 times! It keeps telling me the line is busy. And this is seriously serious and-"_

There was a scuffle on the other end as he thought he heard Yakura fighting for the phone. Staring at Yasuda, who gave him a look of concern, Seiji paced around as Yakura took control of the line.

 _"I'm sorry for that, Yamada-san. Oishi has yet to understand how to handle these calls. But he is right in saying we've been trying to contact Sono 4 times and all our attempts have failed."_

"Look, at least tell me what is going on before I start having a panic attack? What is it?"

 _"We just got word that Takeo was spotted in the Toyonaka are. If memory serves, that's where Sono lives, yes? We need to get there as soon as we can. There's no telling what'll happen in Takeo finds him first."_

All the blood in Seijis body went cold as Yakura hung up the call. Wasting no time, he told Yasuda to get his jacket and shoes on, which he did with no question as he felt his friends aura change so suddenly. As Seiji was putting on his jacket, he tried dialing Sonos number. And just like Oishis attempts, it was busy.

"Damnit Sono, answer your phone...shit! We have to go Yasuda!."

"Already calling a cab. Let's go. Keep calling. He has to answer at some point."

The two men bolted outside the apartment with Seiji not even bothering to lock his door. They rushed down the steps right as a cab pulled up for them and Yasuda told the driver the address. Seiji was trying to stay calm, constantly calling his lovers phone, praying he'd answer. And every call ended in a busy line. Who could Sono be talking to that would take this much time?

A dark thought crossed his mind. What if his phone line was being hacked into? What if Takeo found him already?

Seiji doubled over in his seat, about ready to scream. Yasuda mentioned to the driver,

"You might want to drive faster..."

 _Backtrack 45 minutes_

The power had been off for over 20 minutes and the residents were getting frustrated. Sono would've remained indifferent to the problem, had it not been for the strange phone call he recieved just moments ago.

It was a typical night just before the power went off. He had finished his work for the night and was about to retire to bed. But something had been bugging him all night and he couldn't figure it out. He had the sense that someone...somewhere...was watching him and it put him slightly at an uneasy feeling.

So, he walked into his room and opened his closet to pull his clothes for tomorrow...only to see a bag hanging in the very back of his closet. Curious, he reached in and grabbed the hanger and bag, seeing it was a bag from a dry cleaners, and pulled it out...

His eyes widened for a moment, taking it in. He was staring at a high school uniform...a high school uniform from Asaka High School...the high school he attended 15 years ago...it looked as though there was something dried on it.

The bag dropped from the blonds hands and he started to shiver, wondering where this came from. Getting down to one knee to look closley at the uniform, he saw that what he saw was dried...blood. It was blood.

There was small ripped hole just under the left breast pocket and it seemed to go all the way through the uniform. Curiosity got the better of him and he pulled the uniform out of the bag, inspecting the blazer. His finger went through the hole, examining it. It also felt like there was something in the breast pocket, so he fished it out and saw it was a piece of paper.

As he opened it, staring at the paper, it dropped from his hands and he fell backwards, moving away from the blazer, eyes wide and he lost the ability to breath.

It was a picture. And not just any picture.

It was the picture he had of him, Naoki and Takeo in high school. The same one in his locket...he hadn't worn it in years.

Suddenly paranoid, he got to his feet and dug into his closet, pulling out a small shoebox and set it on his bed, opening it.

Inside were photos and little trinkets here and there. But Sono pulled on a gold chain, holding it and slowly took it out of the box. There it was. His locket. Looking as beautiful as the day he and his friend purchased them.

He opened the necklace and took in the sight of his friends as they used to be. His heart fell flat and he held back a sob. He hadn't expected to hold this again.

But something in his mind told him he needed this. That if he didn't put this on, something terrible would happen.

Just as he was about to slip it over his head, he froze, feeling a cold chill in his room. It was like a breeze of ice and a voice he could have sworn he heard in his ear,

 _"Don't put it on...that's not who you are anymore..."_

The locket fell onto the bed as Sono looked around his room, suddenly feeling nervous and afraid. And as if things couldn't be worse, the lights in his home suddenly went out in a burst. Almost instantly, he heard people next door complaining and children sobbing.

This couldn't be what he was thinking. There was no way.

Gasping to himself, the blond turned on his heel to grab his cell phone from off his desk. The second he touched it, it started to ring.

It was an unknown number.

Fear aside, now Sono was getting angry. This had been a bother for too long. Gathering up his courage, he answered the call and spoke with venom.

"Listen, I don't know who this is, but stop calling this number. I don't care anymore. You've been calling me for days, even after I changed my damn number. So whoever this is, leave me alone or I'll do what I should have done and call the police."

There was a pause before Sono heard the familiar sound of a dial tone, signaling the other line had hung up. Feeling good, he moved the phone so he could call Seiji. But then a notification popped up, saying he had received a picture message.

Groaning, he opened the file and in a second, his anger and bravado faded back into fear.

It was taken the night of the festival. And it was a perfect shot of the blond kissing Seiji on the boat. Under the picture, there was a text that read,

 _"Not so snarky now, are you babe?"_

Babe...that word made the blonds insides churn violently. A flood of memories racked his brain, all regarding one person. He was only able to say one word.

"T...Takeo?"

His phone buzzed in his hand again and in the back of his mind, he heard

 _"Don't answer it."_

Fear consumed him for a second as he answered the call, setting it to his ear and not saying a word. But he didn't need to.

 _"15 years. I looked all over for you for 15 years. Who would have thought you'd still be in Japan...last I heard, you were in America. Haha, I thought your rich daddy would have sent you far away by now. But hey, bonus for me, huh? I've missed you, Sono...I've missed you a lot."_

The blonds form started convulsing in tremors, unable to do anything else. He inhaled a breath of air and asked,

"How did you find me?"

 _"You clearly underestimate me. After all, I was the one who found out you were fucking Naoki after you dumped me so there's that. Oh speaking of which, did you like the little gift I sent you? It actually didn't take much to grab that after I broke out of prison. What with his daddy being chief of police, he's never home. Did you know he kept in his his old room? Ahaha! What a sad little man."_

It took Sono only a few minutes to realise Takeo was talking about the school uniform...and it took him less than a second to realise whose it was.

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he thought back to that night...that night in the alley.

He begged Naoki not to die, not to leave him alone in this world. And Naoki promised to always be there for him, no matter what. He would always protect him. And now, 15 years later, the past was coming back to haunt him.

And this time, there was no Naoki. Only his blood strained uniform sitting on the floor in Sonos room.

He felt vomit in the back of his throat, only to gag it down as he heard Takeo laugh over the phone.

 _"Oh! And imagine my surprise when I found out you were in a relationship. I heard it from so many people through what I can only guess is gossip. Now see...that's where I get angry. I recall saying on our graduation night that you were mine...MINE...and that if anyone else touched you, they'd be sorry. I must say, he looks pretty handsome. Shoulda caught his face haha."_

"You will stay away from him, Takeo! You won't touch him! If you so much as look at him, I'll kill you. I'll kill you like I should have done. I should have stolen a gun from my father and killed you myself."

 _"You? Kill me? Oh now I know you're just fucking with me. You can't kill me. You don't have the guts."_

"I'm warning you...stay away from him."

 _"Who the fuck are you to be giving me orders? I should come into your house right now and bash your brains in for what you did to me. You won't kill me, Sono. You can't even protect yourself. You're nothing. And you've always known that. From that night at graduation you knew that you'd be dead by my hands alone. How have you lived, by the way? From what I hear, you're just a slut, a whore you sleeps with whatever and whoever gives you a glimmer of affection. So who will miss you once you're gone? Your little lover? I'll make you watch as I kill him. Your family? I doubt it. The minute they hear you're gone, your father will be doing such a happy dance to be rid of the family disgrace. Your family never cared about you after high school...and you fucking knew that."_

The blonds eyes nearly blinded over as he slid down onto the floor, tears flowing in steady streams. He couldn't find his voice, he couldn't hear himself breath. His hand was trembling and he leaned his head back, trying to find his composure.

 _"I'll be with you soon, babe. You and I are going to have a loving little reunion."_

The line suddenly died and Sono let his phone slip from his hand, barley hearing it smash on the floor. In a zombie like state, he got to his feet and walked to his bedroom, staring at the bloody uniform with the picture on the bed.

The locket was sitting next to the picture and Sono felt his arm move on its own, his hand grabbing it and holding it to his chest, eyes red from sobbing.

He pressed his lips against the locket, mumbling to himself, getting louder with every breath. And finally, he whispered,

"I'm so sorry, Naoki...I couldn't stop him."

Unable to see clearly, he stood there, crying and holding the locket to his heart. From behind him, he heard his front door slam open, alongside a frantic voice calling his name.

His eyes popped open upon hearing Seijis voice, turing his head to face him as he and Yasuda ran down the corridor to his room. Both men were stunned at the sight of a bloody uniform on the floor and the blond man standing there like a zombie, tears in his eyes and staring at them confused.

Seiji wasted no time and took the blond in his arms, holding him close and rubbing his hair, kissing his ear and saying,

"Oh thank god...I feared the worst when you didn't answer your phone...are you alright?"

The blond said nothing, but Seiji jumped when his hands reached behind him and hugged him hard. Yasuda looked around and calmly asked,

"What happened in here? Whose uniform is this?"

Seiji felt the blond mumble in his chest, pulling back to hear him again. Those brown eyes were so red and puffy from crying, Seiji felt his heart snap. And it became clear how this happened.

"Was it...was it him? How did he find you, Sono? Did he hurt you? Talk to me, did he do anything to you?"

Sono frantically shook his head and said,

"He...I didn't see him. He called me...said some horrible things...god Seiji he was in my apartment...I feel so disgusted...I feel unsafe in my own home..."

The younger man could only feel the hate from his anger boil his blood at that moment. He knew Takeo was quick, but not this quick. He had invaded the blonds home, stuck a horrible memory in his room and now, the blond was on the verge of a serious panic attack. He had to get Sono out of this place.

Turning to Yasuda, he said,

"I need you to pack up some of his clothes, bathroom needs, whatever it is. Please...I have to get him out of here."

Yasuda needed no other explanation. He went right to work grabbing a bag and threw some essentials in it while Seiji led the blond outside and down the stairs. Once down and to the nearest bench, Seiji sat him down and took his face in his, making him look at him.

At first, Sono refused to meet his eyes, completely ashamed of himself for breaking down like this again in front of his lover. But Seiji was firm and said,

"I am not letting you back into that apartment until I'm 100% positive you're in no danger. You're staying with me until this things blows over."

Upon hearing that, Sono finally looked up at him in surprise. And the look in Seijis eyes said it all. But something was telling him no and the blonds face shifted to a look of terror.

"I can't...Seiji I can't. It's too dangerous. If I moved in with you...he...he knows about you, Seiji. He saw us at the festival. He'll be looking for you too...I can't go through that again...if you found you, I could never begin to forgive myself for what he'd do to you..."

By now, Seiji was getting increasingly irritated with the same response he was getting out of the blond. No matter what he did, no matter how much he wanted to help him, Sono wasn't letting him in. He wasn't trusting him like he wanted him to..

Setting his hands on the blonds lap, earning a confused stare, he whispered,

"I don't know...what it is you want me to do, Sono. I've been trying to help you, but you keep pushing me away. I don't care what happens to me. I'd sooner die than allow you to get hurt by him again. All I want is to help you, to be with you, to protect you, but I can't do that if you won't let me in. You said you trusted me..."

Seiji took his hand and kissed the ring he had given him, caressing his palm. When he broke apart, he looked at the opal gem and said,

"You said you trusted me, Sono. I need to know you meant that. If you trust me, then let me protect you. Let me help you. You don't have to do this alone anymore."

Finally, he looked up at the blond and was not surprised to see him crying again. But he was happy to see a smile on his face. It made him glad to see it, even in such a grim situation.

Sono wiped his eyes and sighed, muttering,

"Alright...alright. I'm sorry...I love you and I know you're just trying to help...I'm sorry I'm so...closed off..."

"You don't have to be. I'm here. And you're stronger than this. I know you are...now let's go. It's getting crowded and I want to get you far away from this place. Here comes Yasuda."

Sure enough, Yasuda came running back and said,

"Christ...I was only out the door for ten seconds before cops started running there. I think your cop friends are here too. Do you want to see them?"

"No, not now. Let's just go. There's been too much going on for one day."

Sono nodded and latched onto Seijis arm as they walked down the path to the cab dock. Yasuda mentioned to the blond he packed him plenty of clothes and his shower needs, along with his work bag. Sono mumbled a thanks, feeling lightheaded from the whole ordeal.

His head was pounding and his muscles felt like lead; the only thing he wanted right now was to sleep. And yet he felt too energized to sleep.

Once they returned to Seijis apartment, the younger man suggested the blond go to bed, to relax and forget about today. But Sono felt otherwise. He mentioned he wanted to go for a walk, get some air and clear his head.

Seiji was against it. The last thing he wanted to do was leave him alone again, especially out there where Takeo could be hiding.

"I'll be fine, Seiji...20 minutes. Just give me 20 minutes alone. I need to breath for a bit."

"...Alright. But when that clock hits 8:45 and you're not back yet-"

"Yamada, calm down. He's a grown man. He can handle himself. Go enjoy your walk, Hanasaki-san. We'll be here."

Sono smiled and thanked Yasuda before grabbing his boots and left, walking down the steps and turning the corner to the nearest liqour store. God knew he needed something to take his mind off things.

Passing by several stores that would have otherwise caught his attention, he decided against them, working on clearing his head.

It had been such a long day and tonight was just icing on the cake for how badly he needed a drink.

Finally, he saw a small cafe and decided that coffee was the better alternative. Stepping inside, he heard the barista say hello and he waved, not having much energy for a smile.

He ordered a simple black coffee with cream and left after he chugged it down, earning an odd stare from the patrons. The coffee must have been hotter than sin, but the blond drank it down in no time, not a care in the world.

It helped, if only a little. The burning in his throat distracted him from the pain in his head. Coming up to a crosswalk, he sighed and looked up at the sky. After his burning drink, a shower and sleep sounded wonderful.

The floods of people crossing the road woke him from this thoughts and gave a small effort to walk fast to get home. But people were not understanding the concept of speed and he accidentally slipped, running into someones back, his hands gripping the black jacket.

"Ahh I'm sorry, sir. Pardon me."

Sono quickly walked past him, not waiting for a response as he walked up the sidewalk to head to Seijis home.

Then an odd thought crossed his mind. That mans jacket had a very unique smell to it. It smelt oddly familier and Sono had to stop walking to think it over. It smelt oddly of river water and a coppery overtone...almost like...the earth in a sense.

The blond stood there for a few moments, not realizing someone was behind him. It was only until there was a clearing that the man slammed his hand over the blonds mouth and pulled him quickly into an alley, ignoring the muffled screams.

The man pulled them further into the alley and soon pushed him up against the wall, noticing how much the blond was struggling, his brown eyes flared.

"Hey! Just what the hell is wrong with you?! Let me go!"

The man said nothing, but reached behind Sonos head to grip his hair, yanking his head back and in the process, hitting the brick wall behind him. The result was a loud moan of pain and the man softened his grip.

The mans hands wandered to the blonds left leg, caressing the back of his thigh. Sono jumped at the soft touch and tried to pull away, with no where to go.

Soon, he felt the mans hidden face in the crook of his neck, licking his exposed skin...Sono inhaled and caught that same smell from before. Only this time, there was another smell invading his sense.

It smelt of honeydew...his eyes widened.

Sensing the blonds realization, the man smirked and pulled away, allowing Sono to reach up and pull back his hood, wide eyes already growing wider.

All the sounds in the world around them faded, no people, no cars, no wind. All Sono could hear was his heart falling into the pit of his stomach with such volume.

The mans lips curled into a dark smile as he whispered into the blonds ear,

"It's been too long...I've missed you."

Sono wanted to scream, wanted to make some sort of noise to let people know he was here. But he couldn't. His throat constricted.

He was quiet. And it was the worst kind of quiet. It was the quiet before a loud storm kind of quiet.

He should've listened to Seiji.

He should have stayed put in the apartment...

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

A:N

Slight implications of harsh abuse ahead. So just a heads up.

* * *

-flashback-

A blood curdling scream ripped through the whole house, pulling Kenji away from his work in panic. Running from his home office to the other end of the house, felt his heart racing in fear.

Another one.

It was another nightmare.

Getting to the door, he banged on it 2 times before running in, the sight breaking his heart.

His 17 year old son, sitting up in bed, holding himself and shaking, rocking back and forth. Those big brown eyes laced with tears, dripping down his face. When he heard his father rush in, he gasped and tried to wipe his tears away, but they wouldn't stop. The dream had destroyed his chances of calming down and instead of stopping his tears, he got on his knees and lowered his head in shame.

Kenji felt horrible; this is what his son was reduced to and it was hit own fault.

"Sono...it's alright. Look at me."

The boy shook his head, trembling as he heard his fathers foot steps walk towards him. The bed dipped as he sat down and arms wrapped around his form, eventually moving him so he was sitting in his fathers lap.

Kenji had sat himself up against the headboard, holding the boy tightly to his chest, running his fingers through his hair. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of his hair and said,

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Sono didn't say anything. He couldn't find his words after screaming his throat raw. Kenji understood and moved his hand to the boys waist, pulling him closer.

They stayed that way for over 30 minutes before Sono finally spoke up in a weak and tired voice,

"Poppa...do you...want me to disappear...or die?"

The hand petting his hair suddenly froze, which made Sono freeze. Kenji felt as though someone had thrown a hot knife into his chest, piercing the skin. Moving so he could look at the boy, he simply asked,

"What?"

"Would you be happy...if I were gone...am I...just a mistake to you...?"

The tears flooded Sonos eyes again and Kenji felt that same knife finally cut through to his heart. Moving his hands to cup his sons face, he said,

"Don't you ever say that again, do you hear me? Sono I would never want anything to happen to you...you're my son...how could you ever think that.?"

"You always called me horrible things! You hurt me for so long...you and Takeo both...I lost Naoki and all I wanted was someone to hold me...no one was ever there for me...I was left all alone and no one seemed to care..."

The boy couldn't speak anymore. His sobs were noise enough to reach Kenji deep down, pierce his heart even harder and he felt lower than scum.

Sono was right. He had hurt him in ways no father should...he admitted he was wrong. Very wrong.

His hands never left the boys face as he said,

"I've done terrible things to you, Sono...and I don't expect you to ever forgive me for it. But I still love you. That will never change. You can hate me for the rest of your life, and I would still love you and hurt myself for what I did to you. I deserve it more than anyone understands...and in no way would I ever want you to die or disappear. I'd rather my heart be ripped out and given to you then have me watch my baby boy die or get hurt by some stranger...or old friend."

Kenji thought back to seeing his 8 year old son in a bed of his own blood after Chino did what he did to him. He wanted so badly to rip the mans eyes out. He had almost done it...but he didn't want to do it infront of his wife and sons.

Unable to hold back, he pressed the boy back against his body, kissing his hair and said,

"I'll always love you, Sono. No matter if you forgive me or hate me...I just want you to be happy."

Sono still began to tremble at his fathers words. He knew his father loved him. Even after all that hell and mess he went through, just to see his father protect him on graduation night made him realise he still loved him.

Still, he found himself pushing away from Kenji ever so slightly, the tears never fading.

-present day-

"It's been too long...I've missed you."

Sonos brown eyes widened at the sight of Takeo Mizuno in front of him...looking as devious as he recalled. Those blue eyes, that pitch black hair...his pale skin...was this really the same man?

His eyes went from fearful to furious in a second.

"You have some nerve showing your face to me after all the shit you've pulled, Takeo. I'm honestly shocked you haven't been recognized."

"You'd be surprised. Not too many people know of me in Osaka. I'm usually in Tokyo...or if I'm feeling bold, I'll stick closer to home."

Home...that's where he should be right now. That's where he wanted to be.

Growing frustrated, Sono pushed Takeo back a bit, asking,

"Well...you've found me...just like you said...so what now? Are you going to kill me?"

Takeo smirked, tapping his chin with his middle finger. This was an easy question, yet so not easy at the same time. Takeo had mentally prepared for this moment while Sono did not. Now it seemed the roles were switched. Takeo wasn't expecting to find him this quickly in such a big city. But once he found his cell phone number and tracked it's location, it was pretty easy at this point.

Finally, after a few minutes, he said,

"I will... but not yet. No babe, I have plans for you. I want to prolonge our little reunion just a bit. I want to have some FUN with you."

At the word fun, Takeo had quickly dug a hidden blade into Sonos arm, making the blond gasp in shock, falling to his knees. The man above him smiled, licking the blood off the blade and walked around him.

"Ahhh I miss this. I had almost forgotten how sweet your blood was. Probably from your wealthy upbringing...perhaps. But then again, I remember Naokis' blood being sweet as well. It's funny; you'd think hospitals have better security."

Hearing Naokis name made the blond cringe in fury, being reminded that Takeo was the reason behind his death, hiring those men to do those horrible things. In his mind, however, he questioned what Takeo meant by the taste of Naoki's blood...how did he-The stinging pain in his arm distracted him from those thoughts and with Takeo watching him constantly, he couldn't move.

He let out a gasp of pain when he felt Takeos boot on his back as he tried to stand.

"No no...you should know where good sluts belong. On their KNEES!"

His foot pushed down and Sono crashed to the dirt, groaning and trying to keep calm. His hands were clutching onto nothing as he felt Takeo grip his hair and yank him up a bit, licking his cheek. Sono whimpered. And it was a sound Takeo loved to hear.

"I must say, you've aged well. 32 and you look like a 20 year old. Then again, I hear some sluts look younger do to the increased activity."

Takeo smirked, but it faded quickly as he heard Sono chuckle through the pain in his scalp.

"You keep calling me that, but you're the one who sent me a photo of me kissing another man. With passion, last I recall...I'm not a slut anymore, you ass. Get your facts straight...and let go of my hair."

Sono reached up to try and pry the mans hands off his blond hair, the burning sensation in his locks becoming too strong.

Takeo was amazed at how brave the man was. He remembered Sono being terrified of his mere name and now it was like it meant nothing to him anymore...that made him angry. And whats more, the glimmering piece of gold on the blonds finger made him livid. Gripping the mans hand tightly and pulling it up to look at the ring, Takeo saw red.

Sono gasped when he felt Takeo grip his wrist tightly, but quickly knew why. And he cursed himself for it.

"I misjudged you, Sono. Maybe you're not the slut everybody says...after all, what slut wears a ring this beautiful...it makes you look more like the trash you are."

The hand in his hair gripped tighter again and soon, the blond found his face being pushed roughly into the dirt, his wrist twisting in an odd angle. He cried out a little in pain, feeling the man tighten his grip on his fingers.

Takeo was no longer in the mood for games. His blue eyes furrowed and he said,

"Listen here, you little shit. I've had enough of your stupid little pride. I spent a good chunk of my life hunting you down and I don't intend on having it wasted by some pompious little bitches bravado. And if you really want me to stay away from that little boy friend of yours, you're going to do exactly as I say. Clear?"

When he heard no responce, he gripped the wrist tighter, earning another cry.

"Yes! Yes, Takeo yes! Please stop!"

"That's better. Now pay attention. Because I'm only saying this once."

Sono nodded, feeling the mans nails digging into his skin, clearly drawing blood.

"You are to be here every Saturday night, 9 pm sharp. And if you're even a minute late, you're going to be making up for every second you make me wait. Is that clear?"

He saw the blond nod weakly, his other hand gripping the dirt below him.

"One other thing...if you go and tell others what's going on, your friends, your boyfriend...the cops...well, I'm sure I don't need to tell you what will happen if you do. Because if anyone finds out about this...I'll kill them all. And as for your boyfriend...I'll kill him the same way I had Naoki killed."

With that said, Takeo had completley crushed the bones in Sonos wrist, making him scream against the dirt as his arm fell hard against the ground. He could barley hold in his screams and cries of pain, but Takeo wasn't in the mood for them. Pulling out a pack of cigarettes, he lit one and held it in his mouth as he unzipped his pants in front of the blond, pulling his member out and said,

"You're mine once again, Sono. And there's nothing you can do to stop me...now suck my cock."

Brown eyes glared up at him, tears streaking down his dirty cheeks and for a moment, Takeo hesitated. Sono spit at the ground and said,

"You can torture me all you want, but I will never lower myself to you again."

"Did you forget already? You don't have a choice. Now get over here and suck me off...or do I need to pay your lover a visit...?"

Sono inwardly gasped, realizing there was no out. This was what he had to do to protect Seiji...he'd do this for his lover.

Weakling crawling over to the man and feeling the salty tip graze his lips, Sono whimpered and allowed it to enter his mouth, feeling it harden quickly.

Eventually, Sono lost track in his mind of how long he had been in the dirt doing this. 30 minutes? An hour? Seiji had given him a 20 minute time limit...no doubt it had long been passed that. A hard thrust made him choke slightly and remove his mouth, coughing violently. And a hand in his hair pulled him back, followed by,

"Who said you could stop?"

* * *

 _~Much later~_

 _"I'll see you next Saturday, babe."_

Those words echoed in Sonos head the entire walk home. His eyes hurt, his arm hurt, his broken wrist was bloodier than ever and above all else, his heart hurt. This was the lowest he had ever felt.

After he left the alley when the sidewalk was clear, he had checked his phone and noticed very quickly it had been well over 20 minutes. In fact, it had been almost a hour and 45 minutes.

There was no amount of apologizing that was going to get him out of this. Seiji was going to be furious at him...but what if he asked questions. He would most definantly see his broken wrist and demand an explination.

What could he tell him? There was no excuse alive that would appease him. Sono felt everything crashing hard in his body.

Holding back a sob, he walked back to the apartment. He felt dizzy and sick to his stomach. Drinking Takeos cum was the most horrendous experiance he could imagine. All he wanted now was a shower and some sleep.

Most likely to sleep forever.

Finally, he was in front of the apartment door, inhaling deeply. He didn't even get to grab the door knob. It flung open so fast he couldn't breath for a second.

Seiji was standing there, practically fuming, but calm. His eyes locked with Sonos and the blond averted his, knowing he was in for a long night.

"Where the hell have you been?! I almost called Yakura to send a search party for you! Get inside."

Sono slowly walked inside the home, feeling his wrist throb. Shutting the door, he turned to remove his shoes and step over the hold, immediantly greeted with,

"Sono, fucking hell, what happened? I tried calling you and you didn't answer. Are you alright?"

He cupped the mans cheek, only to have Sono push it away, his hand gripping his bleeding wrist. Seiji quickly caught on and gasped, gently taking it into his hand, not even caring his hand was now covered in blood.

"Your wrist...love, what on earth happened? You look horrible. Answer me, I was worried sick about you."

It took all of Sonos strength to not mention his name. Seiji would have the biggest explosion if he found out. No...no he had to protect Seiji from him...he needed to.

"I slipped and fell off a curb on my way home. I was at a nearby park and lost track of the time so I tried to rush back here, and my foot missed the curb. It scrapped me pretty bad too...hence the blood."

The look on Seijis face did not tell him he was convinced.

"You slipped and fell? Sono, how stupid do you think I am? This isn't a sprained wrist from falling off a curb. This is a broken limb that looks like someone smashed it with a brick."

"It's the truth, Seiji."

"Well, regardless of what happened, we need to get you to a hospital. This looks horrible. God knows how much blood you've lost."

"Seiji, I'm fine. Most of the bleeding stopped a while ago...I'll be ok."

The younger man looked up at him and his eyes darkened. Sono wasn't looking directly at him and it was making him nervous. Fearful even.

Being as gentle with his lovers broken wrist, he kissed his cheek, feeling the blond tense up suddenly. That was a blow to the heart.

"Sono...you're not...hiding something from me...are you?"

Finally, those eyes locked with his and Seiji lifted his hand to rub his neck. The comfort was welcoming, but Sono felt his stomach churning. He pushed Seiji away so fast and ran to the bathroom, skidding in front of the toilet and vomited hard, puking up the remains of Takeos essence.

He puked off and on for a while, with Seiji behind him rubbing his back. He had called the nearest clinic to see the blond once he stopped hugging the toilet, which would hopefully be soon. The younger man felt terrible for him. He could tell there was something bigger going on, but Sono wasn't telling him anything.

Finally, the puking stopped and Sono moved to lean against the mans chest, sobbing to himself. His wrist was in so much pain, as was his head. Seiji cradled him to his heart, kissing his hair.

"You can tell me anything, Sono. You know that. I won't get mad. I love you and I just want to help you. Now tell me what happened."

He heard nothing but sobs and he shivered. He tried to remember the last time he felt so useless...gripping Sonos shirt, his vision turned red. Sono was indeed hiding something from him. He just needed to know what.

All the while, Sono felt his throat burning from his crying. He couldn't recall the last time he felt like shit...lower than shit. He wanted so badly to tell Seiji everything, but the threat of Takeo finding him and killing him, he couldn't bare that again. He'd have to continue this horrible deal.

It was enough to keep Seiji alive and safe. Even at the expense of his own life.

* * *

And that was the start of it all. The start of a downward spiral in his life.

Every Saturday, 9 pm, he'd be on his knees for that man, doing whatever Takeo told him to do, listening to his insane laughter, his insults, his cruel words.

Once everything was done, Sono would return home, avoiding Seijis questions, taking a shower and going to bed. And the remainder of the week would be straining and depressing.

One night in particular, a Tuesday if he recalled, he was sitting on the couch, going over his work when Seiji sat next to him, wanting to see how he was doing. It was a polite question, but Sono only grunted and didn't say anything. Seiji didn't take offense, but kissed the side of his lovers head before getting up and walked to the kitchen.

He wasn't sure why it set him off but it did. He let out an angry cry and threw his papers to the ground, pencils and everything, crying in his hands. Seiji was back at his side, but Sono pushed him away, demanding to be left alone. Seiji had asked him again what was wrong but Sono snapped off at him with such venom.

"I'm sick to death of you constantly over my shoulder! I'm not a damn child so stop treating me like one!"

Seiji had not spoken to him for several days after that. In fact, he was livid at the man.

They were fighting more and more now. Screaming at each other every night, every day after work and before work.

At one point, Seiji was so fed up with Sonos attitude that he did something he'd never done before.

He hit him. He hit him hard across the face that it sent the blond to the floor. Feeling good that the screaming had stopped for a second, Seiji realised what he had done and was disgusted with himself. He stayed at Yasudas home for two days after that before returning home to try and make ammends with Sono.

But the blond would be too busy sobbing to listen or to care. It was hurting them both so much more than they thought.

Pretty soon, Seiji had taken to sleeping on the couch, thinking it was better this way. But over the weeks of doing this, he found that no matter what, he couldn't sleep without his arms wrapped around the blond.

They eventually started sleeping in the same bed again after a month and a half, but it didn't help their situation the next day. They would still get up in the morning, dress themselves for work, argue then scream at each other before leaving. Seiji felt crushed and Sono felt miserable.

They were able to sleep together fine but when they were awake, they couldn't stand each other. This wasn't what Seiji wanted at all. He loved Sono with every fiber of his being. He wanted to spend his life with him...he proposed to the man for gods sake...

But Sono was showing signs of severe depression, he was losing so much weight it was boarding on scary. The further scarier was when Seiji found him on the couch one night, crying and staring at his ring.

That was the final straw. Seiji couldn't take this anymore. He had walked up to him, knelt down and took his hand, kissing his knuckles and said,

"I love you...I promise you I won't give up on us. Please don't give up on me, Sono. I love you too much to see you like this."

Sono had broken down hard that night. He fell to the floor and layed on the wood surface, clutching his ring with one hand and holding Seiji to his body with the other, screaming apologies into his shirt.

The younger man held onto him all night, letting him sob himself to sleep.

Seiji didn't sleep at all that night because he knew exactly where all of this was coming from. It was painfully obvious.

And he also knew there had to be a reason why Sono hadn't told him. Keeping it a secret for this long was crippling him inside and out.

But he also knew that if Sono hadn't told him anything, it was for a reason he couldn't even fathom. It was a life or death situation. He was now caught between calling him out on it or allowing his lover to suffer until he came clean.

He was stuck in that gray area and he hated it.

Staring at his love, he decided it would be best for Sono to make this call. And he prayed it came soon. He couldn't stand watching this continue for much longer. If this was left unattended for to much longer, Sono could get himself killed.

Or worse.

He'd kill himself.


	9. Chapter 9

Another Saturday. Same as ever.

Sono zipped up his jacket and let out a sigh, wincing at the pain in his left shoulder. Takeo had left a large bruise on him last week and it hadn't faded since.

Counting in his head, he thought about how long this had gone on.

2...3...was it 4? 4 months? Maybe 3 and a half months. That sounded right.

Slipping on his shoes, he winced when his toes hit the floor. He tried not to remember the last Saturday he visited the man. He made a crucial mistake and he was still paying the price for it.

Looking at his watch, he noticed it was half an hour to 9. He had time to spare.

Looking at himself in the mirror in the living room, he felt like he was looking to another persons soul. Who was the man looking at him? This couldn't be him.

He looked thinner, paler and his brown eyes looked tired and listless. Was this really him? What had he become...?

A man who was hurting his own being to protect someone he loved...that's who he became. He had to constantly remind himself of these things. He was in much too deep to back out now.

Takeo made him very aware of that the night he tried to escape...resulting in a broken toe.

"Sono? Are you going somewhere?"

That voice rang in his ears and he turned to face Seiji, who stood at the bedroom doorway in his sleep pants. He had a look of concern...sorrow and concern.

Sono looked away; lying to Seiji for this long was the worst thing he had ever done in his life. He truly was a pathetic waste of a man right now. He turned his back to him, saying,

"Just...going for a walk...I'll be back later...you go back to bed. You've been working yourself too hard."

"..."

Sono didn't hear a response so he grabbed his keys and grabbed the door knob to head out. Just before he opened the door, he was stopped by Seijis arms around his waist. That alone stunned him to a frozen form. If that was shocking enough, Seiji pressed a small kiss under his ear and it nearly broke the blonds composure.

"...Be safe out there...alright? Come home if anything happens."

Those words...they were a melody of why Sono kept doing this. Not allowing Seiji to see his tears, he nodded and left quickly, leaving Seiji standing in the door way, deeply hurt and confused. He felt his own tear leave his eye and he wiped it away. His arms ached to hold him again after all this fighting they'd done, but seeing Sono in such a state was sickening.

Turning back into the apartment, he picked up his cell phone and dialed a number, hearing the ring for a minute before he heard a strained hello.

"Ashi-san, it's Seiji. I have a favor to ask of you. Do you remember that box I had you hold onto? Well...it looks as though I'm going to need it...I know it's sudden...How soon can you get it here?"

* * *

This was not turning out to be a good night.

The streets were dark and cold, odd for an October evening. But that's not why it was turning into a bad night.

From the moment Sono left the apartment, he had suffered some terrible luck. He tripped over 3 people, hit his head on a walk sign and skinned his left leg trying to beat the traffic sign.

All in all, it was not a great way to start the evening. From here, it was only going to get worse. Where was the harm now? Perhaps he'd ask Takeo to just end it tonight. What was the point?

It had already been too long. Too much time has past and Sono had lied to his lover so much that that in now way could Seiji forgive him for such acts.

This had to end soon.

Sighing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, something he hadn't touched in a long time. Just touching the box felt odd to him. It was even more odd when he actually bought the smokes plus a lighter.

He hadn't smoke since he was a senior in high school...after Naoki died. This was nearly the same area.

Taking a cigarette out of the pack, he stuck it in his mouth and lit it quickly, inhaling the nicotine. He hadn't been expecting the taste to be so calming and pleasant after so many years. It was a nice surprise.

Taking another drag, he flicked some dead ends off onto the dirt, blowing smoke into the air. It wasn't something he was proud of doing, but combined with the stress of Takeo and the fighting with Seiji, not to mention the constant suicide dreams and otherwise lack of sleep, this cigarette was greatly needed.

"Hanasaki-san? Is that you?"

Sono peered over to see Yasuda standing above him, a shocked look on his face to see his best friends lover with a cigarette in his mouth. But the blond said nothing. He just took another quick drag and said,

"What brings you out here, Yasuda-kun?"

"I'd be asking you the same thing. I was on my way to see Yamada, but it appears I've caught you both in a snag."

"Is that what he's calling it? I'd call it a cluster."

"Are you two still fighting? Christ, I thought you settled this. It's not healthy for a couple to fight this long."

"It's also not healthy for one person of the two to keep secrets this long, but hey...nearly four months and I'm still alive for some reason."

Sono didn't catch his slip until after he crushed a bit of the smoke on the pavement, immediately wanting another to lessen the tension. Because when Yasuda asked him about it, he blew it off and said

"Never mind..."

"Nevermind? You don't just say that and then say nevermind, Hana—Sono. What is going on between you two? Ever since you moved in with him, you've been acting odd. He's told me you both have taken to screaming at each other. Why? What's going on? What is it you're hiding from him?"

"It's...personal..."

"It shouldn't be tearing you both apart like this! He's my best friend and I won't sick back and watch the only relationship he's ever cared about fall apart! Now you better start talking otherwise I'll find out myself and Seiji won't like it either way! I'm not an angry person Sono, but I won't let someone hurt my friend this way. He's been worried sick about you. And you think I haven't noticed? You haven't been eating much, have you? You're nothing but a twig now! Damnit, Seiji loves you and if you love him, you'll tell him what you've been hiding from him!"

The look on Sonos face was more shocked than he had ever recalled. Yasudas face was red with fury, almost ready to hit him...like Seiji did weeks ago. The blond flicked his smoke in such an angry fashion, tears beading in his eyes.

Of course Yasuda would be mad at him; he was hurting not only himself by willingly putting himself through such hell, but he was hurting Seiji even more by not telling him anything that was happening to him.

He could literally feel Seijis pain in his heart and it hurt him deep to his core. It was the only thing keeping him going to meet with that man every week. He did this so Seiji could have a life...even if Sono felt like he wasn't going to be in it for much longer.

"I'm so sorry...I know I've hurt the both of you...but please understand that what I'm doing...I have to do this myself."

"But why? Why do you keep pushing us away from helping you?"

"I have to, don't you get it! If anyone gets involved...it'll get them killed...they'll get hurt and it'll be my fault...and I can't go through that again...I just can't!"

Sono stood up and ran past Yasuda in a sudden dash, ignoring the mans call for him. Yasuda was dumbfounded, but he got exactly what he was asked of.

When Seiji had called him earlier, asking him to come by to talk, he had gotten the added information of talking to Sono should he see him and try to get anything out of him.

He seemed to have succeeded. And with that thought in mind, he got up and walked the rest of the way to Seijis home, blushing a little. He hated having to be the middle man for these things.

But Seiji had made it clear that Sono was refusing to tell him anything, no matter how much the younger had begged. So he had asked his friend to try and get any information from him.

Now that he did, he was ready to relay what he learned. Something was going on with the blond and it wasn't healthy. He was doing something that was causing him great pain and distress.

Or seeing someone who was doing the very things he had in his head.

* * *

Sono bolted to the alley where Takeo would be meeting him and had to stop to breath.

He had just realised what he had told Yasuda and it was then he knew he had messed up. Yasuda knew...or slightly knew. And that was just as worse as knowing everything.

All the scenarios played out in his head and none of them were good. Yasuda telling Seiji the majority of what he knew and he pictured the man scaling the city for him, eventually finding him, most likely with Takeos dick lodged in his throat and tears in his eyes, being forced to hear Takeo shoot Seiji in the heart and then having the man shoot him in the head mid fellatio.

The blond stopped walking and fell to his knees, pressing a hand to his head, feeling his head pounding. The thought of it actually happening was high and he was petrified.

He didn't get much time to think about it as a hand in his hair scared him, pulling him deeper into the alley and being thrown to the ground, an angry Takeo glaring down at him.

"You're late...by 2 minutes. I told you before. You be late and you're going to atone for every second you make me wait...you smell like smoke..."

He gripped the blonds neck, picking him up and pinning him against the wall, hearing the blonds pained whimpers, making him clutch his throat tighter.

Sono weakly opened his eyes, staring at him through his tears. He quickly gave up on fighting the man and trailed his hand up the mans arm, touching his shoulder. The soft touch made Takeo jump and growl.

"What are you doing. Trying to get out of being punished? Heh, no chance."

Takeo leaned in his licked the blonds bottom lip, tasting cigarette smoke and he actually moaned, a sound Sono wasn't used to hearing.

"I forgot you smoked in high school...it turns me on that you started up again. God...I really have missed you..."

A soft kiss pressed against his neck and Sono tensed so hard, he felt both his legs cramp up. What was going on? Just a few moments ago, Takeo was furious with him for being late. Now he was peppering him with soft kisses and affection like he hadn't felt in ages.

The man had left his neck and began to kiss his face, his nose, his tightly shut eyelids, his forehead...when he found his lips, that's when Sonos eyes shot open in surprise.

Takeo had gripped one of his wrists and pinned it to the wall, the other wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. Sonos other hand tried to push the man away from him, but found he couldn't. He was in too much shock to think about pushing him away.

And for a sick second, Sono found himself kissing back. It was like they were teenagers again. Making out behind the school, in his bed with his family downstairs...the sweet loving memories of Takeo Mizuno came flooding back and the blond shut his eyes, wanting to run his fingers through Takeos black hair.

Takeo smirked in the kiss; he knew very well that the man wasn't going to be able to resist his kisses like this. He never could. Not in a million years.

Breaking apart, he licked the blonds lower lip and whispered,

"How does it feel? To be used simply as a tool for someone else? Feels familiar, huh?"

Unable to comprehend what Takeo had said, Sono opened his eyes and looked into those blue pits, fearful of them all of a sudden. This was a game. He was played like an instrument.

"Tell you what...I'll change the rules a little since you played my game so obediently these last few months. I'll let you pick our next activity. And don't say running away because I will break the rest of your toes...you know, like last time when I just crushed your big one. Must be fun walking around with it huh? Maybe I'll cut one off for shits and giggles. So what will it be, Sono? Would you like to suck me off again? Or would you rather me beat you now and get it over with?"

There it was. The out Sono was looking for. This would have to be the most perfect moment to voice what he wanted. What he needed to do. In order for the people he loved to be safe, he had to do this.

He opened his mouth and Takeo grinned. The blond was so pathetic in his ways. So submissive. And oddly willing to be doing this for so long. Takeo waited for his answer, rubbing his captive wrist ever so gently.

"Please...kill me."

And just like that, everything was silent. Even Takeo was blown away by that answer. He released the mans wrists and backed away from him a step, his blue eyes wide with confusion.

"What did you say?"

Free as he was, Sono felt no movement in his legs. He slid down the wall in a fetal like position, eyes locked on his knees. He couldn't look up at the man and face the reality of everything that had happened. He just wanted this to be over.

"I'm begging you, Takeo...please...just end this. No more...if you're going to kill me, then do it...don't torture me anymore...I can't take it..."

It was something Takeo wasn't expecting to hear, even more so coming from the blond himself. And while it is what he wanted, to kill him slowly and end his life, oddly enough...he felt his heart twist at Sonos desire to die now. The feeling made him gasp lightly and clutch his chest, suddenly feeling angry. Angry at his heart for turning against him like that. Angry at his own hesitation to actually go through with killing him.

He was angry at Sono for making him feel this way.

"How...how dare you..."

The blond looked up at those words, shaking and stunned to see Takeo fighting an internal battle with his head. Those blue eyes glared at him and in a swift move, the blond was back on his feet, a hand constricting his throat and a sudden punch to the face.

The back of his head hitting the brick wall was more painful than the actual punch, but Sono found quickly he couldn't open his right eye. His left eye looked at Takeo with such a daft expression, unsure of where this sudden rage came from.

"Stop looking at me like that!"

Another punch, this time to the cheek and the blond spit out some of his blood onto the dirt. Takeo then gripped his hair with his other hand and tossed him to the ground, hearing a whimper leave his throat.

All of Sonos nerves went insanely tight as he tried to crawl away, but was stopped when Takeo sat on his lower back, pinning him down.

"Now doesn't this look familiar?"

Brown eyes widened in terror at the position they were in, especially when he heard Takeo unbuckle his belt, the leather sliding out of the pant loops. His heart pounded wildly.

Turning his head, he cried out,

"Takeo no! Not again, please...not that."

Tightening the belt around his hand, Takeo looked down at him with such anger and such hatred. He saw the young high schooler below him rather than the man he hunted down. But those eyes remained the same.

Gripping the bottom of the blonds jacket and shirt, he lifted it and was shown the mans pale back. A surge of lust came upon the man, already feeling himself harden at what he was about to do. It was pure memory at it's finest..and he was damn excited.

Making sure his clothes wouldn't get in his way, Takeo removed them both, pulling them over the blonds head, pushing his face into his inside out shirt.

"Be glad I'm giving you something to bite down on this time. I'm practically spoiling you."

Sono was given no time to mentally prepare himself as the belt buckle came down hard on his back, making him scream into his shirt. The pain was very familiar, if not worse now than it was years ago.

It came every 5 seconds, giving him no time to breath. He screamed himself raw, tears flowing down his cheeks, burning his swollen eye.

After a few strikes, Takeo stopped and looked at his piece of art. And he grinned.

The once flawless back was now destroyed with bloody welts, nearly covering the entire area. He could see the thin body trembling violently and felt this was the perfect time to end tonights little game. Taking his belt, he loosened it and wrapped it around the blonds neck, hearing him gasp and choke for air.

With one hand, Takeo unbuttoned his pants, lowering them to his knees and reached around to unbutton the blonds. The shaking body made no move to stop it and he pulled them down to his knees as well.

The blood from the welt on his lower back had smeared into the seams of his pants and suddenly, Takeo wanted that blood everywhere. With that fueling his actions, he gripped the belt and tugged it tightly, hearing the choking cries and slid into him dry, moaning loudly at the tight heat of his captives body.

No scream was heard; Sonos throat was so worn out, he couldn't make a sound. He certainly felt it when the man thrust into him quickly, making him gasp and let out choked sobs.

It didn't stop. Takeo thrusted into him, a man possessed, moaning loudly and those sounds reached Sonos ears, seeping into his brain and he closed his eyes, giving in.

He couldn't go home to Seiji like this. It would kill them both.

A particularly hard thrust made him cry out, his air way constricted with the belt tightening around this throat and that was the end of it. He felt Takeo stiffen behind him and felt his essence in his body, another cry escaping his throat.

Takeo felt mighty satisfied right now. Pulling out of the blond, he noticed his member was slightly cloaked in blood; it made him smile wickedly.

Staring at his watch, it was around 10:12 and he felt sleepy. Removing the belt and readjusting the blonds clothes, adoring the pain filled gasps as his shirt touched his back, he stood and buttoned his pants, slipping his belt on and said,

"Remember our deal...tell no one and they live."

Sono made no attempt to move from his spot. His legs refused to work for him and he was crying silently, his tears making clear paths on his dirty cheeks.

A ping went through Takeos heart and he sighed, helping the blond onto his back, once again hearing a loud cry of pain. The man chuckled.

"You look pretty messed up, babe. But this was fun. Best night we've had yet. Now scurry on home. I'll see you next week."

Pressing a soft kiss to the blonds lips, dry as they were, Takeo got up and walked away from the alley, leaving Sono on his back, staring at the sky with an eye that most definitely had a bruise around it. He had been able to open it for a while now, but now, all he wanted was to shut them and never open them again.

He allowed him to do those things to his body...a body which ached and was sore all over. Going home was not an option. If he did, there'd be no telling what Seiji would say. He'd be livid. And Yasuda...Yasuda probably already told him everything he knew and that meant Sono was screwed regardless. There was no lying to get out of this one. His best best was to go home and shower before Seiji noticed him, then go to bed. Hot water against his welts was bound to sting, but he would bare it.

Finding the strength to get to his feet, he limped out of the alley and down the road to the apartment, ignoring the stares he was getting from people. He heard whispers, mostly from women and they were all mentioning the same topic.

Rape...that's what happened here. Sono couldn't deny that. He never in his wildest nightmares imagined Takeo to be capable of such an act. But that didn't matter at the moment.

The only thing that mattered was what Seiji would say if he saw him. There was no way out.

Weakly walking up the apartment steps, his mind was racing. His heart...he could barely feel it anymore. His stomach and his back were killing him. He could feel blood on his back, warm as it was, at it stung at every open wound it came across.

His eye didn't sting much anymore, but it was still heavy and sore. Finally, at Seijis front door, Sono felt the strong urge to pass out here and be done with it. Slam his head against the door, pray it cracked his skull and killed him. Anything to be rid of this pain.

But he didn't. He inhaled deeply and gripped the door knob, seeing that it was unlocked. Opening the door and turning to remove his shoes, wincing at the pain in his toe, he shut the door and pressed his head against it, panting through the pain. It was excruciating and he wanted so badly to sleep.

Sighing again, he turned around and was instantly greeted with Seiji staring at him, arms crossed and what looked to be a look of fury in his eyes. Sono cowered a little under that stare.

They locked eyes for a moment before Seiji asked,

"So...did you fall off a curb again? Or a did you get involved in another bar fight?"

Sono opened his mouth, closed it again and looked at the ground, ashamed of himself. Of course Seiji would remember the two most common lies he had created to justify his absence and his injuries. He looked up at Seiji again, who said,

"4 months...4 months I've watched you walk into this apartment, tired and beaten like you just came out of crime scene. And for 4 months, you've fed me the same excuses. I was willing to buy them in the beginning, but now, it's gotten out of hand...Yasuda was here earlier and told me he ran into you on the road and you mentioned some things...things that I would have liked to know before...now we can do this the easy way Sono or we can do this the hard way...but by the looks of you...you've gone through the hard way and then some."

Seiji uncrossed his arms and walked towards the shaking blond, his wide eyes brimming with tears. Seiji then gently touched his shoulders and his look of fury shifted into a look of pure worry.

"Sono...you said you trusted me. And I believed you...but now...seeing you like this for as long as I have...I just want to remind you that I still trust you...and I love you...I'm asking you for the last time...what is going on?"

The genuine tone in his voice, the way he said that he still loved and trusted him, the fearful look in his eyes...the blonds heart officially crumbled. Throwing himself into Seijis chest, he let out a heart wretching sob, falling to his knees and hugged Seijis waist, sobbing into his stomach.

"Oh god, Seiji, I'm so sorry!...It's...it's been a nightmare...I was trying to protect you, putting myself through hell and back, just to make sure you were safe from harm. I had to lie...I had to do whatever I could to keep you away but I can't! I can't do this anymore! You have every right to be angry with me...I...please forgive me, Seiji-kun! I take this anymore!"

The man above him pressed his hand in his hair, petting him softly and said,

"Tell me who did this to you."

Everything in the blonds body exploded. He screamed out in Seijis shirt, a fit of exhaustion and fear,

"TAKEO DID THIS TO ME!"

The feeling of a million pounds of weight suddenly lifted from Sonos shoulder and he felt like he could breath again. He cried in the mans shirt, only to feel him peel away and was then face to face with him. Seiji had gotten on his knees and took the blond into an embrace so powerful, Sono had to remind himself to breath.

"...I was so worried you wouldn't tell me...I've waited so long to hear you say it..."

It was like a tidal wave of emotions hitting him at once. Sono pulled away, looking at the man shocked to hell.

"You...you knew? You knew this whole time?"

"Sono, it's clearly obvious...but I didn't want to confront you about it...you would have lashed out on me...so I waited for you to come to me...and I prayed I was wrong...but when Yasuda told me what you told him earlier...my heart sank. My worst fear came to light and I was stupid to ignore it...and now that I know...I have something I have to do. Seeing you like this is something I will not forgive..."

Seiji stopped and pulled out Sonos ring from his pocket, earning the blonds gasp and another look of sadness. He had forgotten he took that off before he left so Takeo wouldn't ruin it.

But the look in Seijis eyes read something more than sadness. It showed him heart break. It showed him pain.

"Do you...have any idea what your actions these last few months have done to me? Do you have any idea of the thoughts the crossed my mind? I was afraid the cops would show up, telling me they found your corpse in some seedy alley somewhere. You've had nightmares? I've had my share of nightmares because of this shit and...fuck...I can't handle it either! I can't bare the thought of losing you!"

He stuffed the ring back into his pocket, making Sono wish he didn't. He wanted it back. He wanted that reminder of Seijis love for him back on his person but as he subconsciously reached for it, Seiji gripped his wrist and said,

"I proposed to you months ago and you still gave me no answer. Now I see why. And while I greatly appreciate your own worries for me, it's no excuse to hide something like this from me! If you're hurt, tell me and I'll share that hurt with you! If you're sad or scared, I'll share that with you and even shield you from it. If you ever feel like your world is shattering, fucking tell me and I'll do everything I can to fix it! And do you know why? Because you'd do the same for me. That's what lovers do. They comfort each other through their most darkest moments. They protect each other when the other is in some sort of danger from others or from themselves. And you know what else they do? They help each other when the other is in need! And I can't help you if you don't let me in!"

"Shut up! Stop talking like this, please!"

"Why? Is it so hard for you to accept that I actually love you?! Why, Sono? Why should I stop talking like this?! Is this not enough for you!? Tell me!"

"Please stop..."

"Tell me why!"

"Because you sound just like Naoki!"

There was a tense pause that surrounded the men and Seiji felt even more confused after such a confession. There was no anger, only a want of context.

Sono hung his head, holding himself and trembling madly. Tears dripped from his eyes as he spoke,

"Naoki used to say the same things to me...for years...he was the only person I trusted and loved to my core when I was young...he was my everything...and Takeo took him away from me...he left me with no one and nothing..the amount of pain I went through after that was horrible..I wanted so badly to just end my life and be with him again..but every time I tried his memory stopped me...like he knew that I'd find someone better than him..someone who understood me..and even then I wanted to die because every attempt at love was pointless...but then I found you...and it's like my life had meaning again...but when you talk like this...it's like a twisted deja vu...like the past is going to repeat itself...I don't want that, Seiji...I found meaning in my life again, a purpose to live...I can't have that jeopardized by my past! Even if..."

Sono stopped talking and averted his eyes, his face flush with emotions. Seijis wide eyes locked on his lover and stepped forward to try and comfort him, but the blond lifted his hand to stop him, taking deep breaths as he tried to collect himself to finish.

"Even if...seeing Takeo again...brings up old desires of leaving what I had...he made me remember the happiness I felt with Naoki...and the pain of it being stripped away. I almost want that back...but I don't! I don't want that memory anymore! Naoki is dead! DEAD! He's never coming back! And I'm tired of always seeing him around me in everything I do! You talking this way...all I can see and hear is him...and it's breaking my heart...because I don't want him anymore...even if I did, I couldn't...I love you, Seiji, not Naoki and not Takeo...but I don't...I don't want to live through the pain anymore...if I lost you the way I lost Naoki...I wouldn't survive that...but at the same time...I want to see him again...and that hurts more...because I don't want to leave you...I'm scared, Seiji...I don't know what to do...I miss him...I miss him so much...but I love you so much more..."

The words spilled from him so clearly that when he finally stopped, he tried to calm his tears, failing as he wiped them away. The pain in his heart was so powerful, he was afraid of it breaking suddenly.

But as he sobbed into his palms, Seiji stood in front of him, eyes wide and with a sudden sense of clarity. The true reason why Sono was so terrified of fighting Takeo this way.

It was Naoki...but in another sense, it was him. Sono was living his senior year all over again as a grown man and was having great troubles on coping with it. He had repressed the past for so long that having it suddenly return this way was almost too overwhelming.

Naoki was his reason for living all those years ago and to have him suddenly taken away as he was...he could only imagine the sheer trauma it left on Sono after all these years. And with Takeo back in the picture and in almost the same fashion, he could also understand why the blond was refusing his help with the matter.

Should Seiji get involved and die by Takeo like Naoki was...there was no way Sono would live through that twice. His heart would collapse and he'd most likely die from the pain. He was caught between the two loves of his past and his present. Die to be with Naoki or suffer and live to be with Seiji.

It was a dark place to be and Seiji began to truly understand his lover more than he could even dream of...he could now see why the blond was in so much pain. He could truly see why he loved this man with all his heart.

Finally knowing the true reason behind Sonos conflictions, Seiji wrapped his arms around him, kissing his head and said,

"Then don't think about him. Think about me. If all you hear is Naoki when I talk to you like this, then remind yourself why that's not possible. Hear my voice and think of me. Let me be the one to love you forever. I've wanted that for so long and I'm not letting go just because your maniac ex boyfriend is jealous of what you have. I promise you, Sono. I'm not letting you go so easily."

"But why...why are you so...dead set...on me? I hurt you terribly...I lied to your face for months...I'm lower than scum...lower than shit...why are you doing so much for me?"

And then came a look that stole the blonds heart in seconds. Seiji took his face in his hands and kissed his lips soothingly, caressing under his eyes, wiping any tears that passed. When he broke apart, he said with a smile.

"Because that's what husbands- to- be do. They fight for their families. And you're my family, wither or not you agree with me. I love you, Sono. Nothing is going to change that. And no one is going to stop me from being with you. Stop getting so worked up over this, stop being so damn hard headed and let me help you."

Sono had no words. Only expressions of guilt and of apology. He wrapped his arms around Seijis neck, kissing his ear and sobbed in his shoulder, all while the man held him gently, running his hands through his yellow hair.

They embraced for what seemed like hours before Sono let out a noise of discomfort when Seiji ran his hand under his jacket and shirt to touch his skin again. But a strange wet warmth, plus the smell of copper made Seiji removed his hand to see it was patched in blood. His eyes grew and he looked at the man bunched against his chest. He was shivering.

"Sono...what did he to do to?"

"He...whipped me with his belt...he beat me...then he...he..."

He stopped talking as Seiji put their pieces together, seeing red. This had become even more serious than he thought it would. In the past, he had just imagined there to be wounds here and there that Sono refused to let him see. Now it had gotten personal. Not only did Takeo beat him like a stray animal...he used him...touched him and hurt him in ways Seiji could not forgive. He started shaking in fury, gripping the back of Sonos head to try and level himself before he did something he'd regret.

"Seiji...I feel dizzy..."

It was a weak, whimpering announcement that Seiji heard clear as day. Nodding while trying to keep his composure, he took the man in his arms and picked him up bridal, running to slip his shoes on and grab his keys and phone before calling the nearest hospital. He had no time to wait for an ambulance, much less a cab.

He ran the entire way there, a bleeding man in his arms and bypassed everyone who stared at him strangely. His arms ached but he pushed through it, running up to the nearest clinic and the doors opened, him calling out that they needed help and fast.

Nurses started to scramble and Seiji fell to his knees, unable to keep himself up. But he hadn't let go of the blond in his arms; he refused to.

"...Seiji..."

His voice rang out to him and he lowered his ear so he could hear what the blond had to say. Just as he finished, two nurses came and helped the bleeding man up to get him settled in a room. Seiji was left there, kneeling and a look of absolute joy on his face. Not a typical kind of joy.

A joy of sick satisfaction. Sono had whispered to him a simple desire, having Seiji read between the lines and he'd be sure he'd fufill it.

"I want you to...come with me...next time..."

 _TBC_


	10. Chapter 10

_-Saturday evening, 7:45 pm-_

The sounds of people walking around the city...the noises of cars and everyday occurances...

Takeo took a long drag of his cigarette, kneeling against the brick wall, breathing smoke into the sky. What a beautiful night this was going to be. His knife, coated in fresh blood, layed against his bent leg and he smiled.

Just moments ago, he had stepped inside a church, no one having recognized him and stared hard at the religious statues around him, trying to find meaning. He was, by no means, a religious man, but that didn't stop him from enjoying the arts that religion had created.

He loved art...it was a beautiful thing that changed with the times. Even his art, his murders, changed greatly with every passing year.

A priest walked up to him, asking if he needed guidance and Takeo merely said,

"Father, I face a crisis that has been with me for so long."

"Tell me, my son. Perhaps the word of the Lord can assist you."

"I don't know about that...but...years ago...a friend of mine passed away...and I mean YEARS ago. We were just teenagers. Well...he took something that was mine and well...I'm having a hard time deciding if I should reclaim it or not. It was really special to me...I sort of lost it at some point and my friend picked it up...he held onto it for a long time and I became angry at him for it...then he died and well...I recently found it and it's in the hands of someone else...and I don't know what to do."

The priest was slightly put off with the way Takeo described his crisis, but smiled nonetheless, taking Takeos hand and said,

"We must not show envy towards what others have and accept it as theirs."

"I get that. But this was stolen from me. Right from under me. And I want to get it back. I have to..."

"To what importance is this item, exactly? And why would your friend take it from you?"

"Because...we both loved it. It's a special thing, you know. It had meaning and when I lost it, seeing that my friend had it...I lost control and did some terrible things. I want this item back...because I need it back. I'm lost without it. My friend loved it and it's what led to his death..."

"May I ask what this item is that is so special to you?"

Takeo said nothing but removed his hand from the priest and said, staring up at the statue, sighing through his nose.

"It's hard to describe, Father. I just need it back..."

The priest said nothing more about the subject and offered to pray with Takeo...surprisngly, Takeo agreed.

They sat together, the priest saying his usual prayer for another soul, while Takeos mind was elsewhere. This conversation he shared with a priest, it was helping him just a little. It helped him realise what he needed to do.

Closing his eyes, he started to pray for the first time ever, but not to God...he prayed to someone else.

" _Naoki...you stole him from me and now, I'm going to get him back. And I'm going to rub it in your face once we see you again..like I used to do when I beat you in everything else...be patient, my friend...we'll be together soon."_

Takeo left the church hours later, blood coating his clothes and a heavy sigh on his lips. It pained him to kill that priest...he was such a nice man.

- _Around that same time frame-_

Sono shuddered as he slipped his jacket on, not looking forward to this in the slightest.

Seiji had just gotten off the phone with Yakura and informed him of the situation, all while ignoring the mans frantic cries of why the hell had they not told him this sooner. Seiji didn't explain Sonos reasoning as to waiting this long to tell them anything...it didn't matter at this point.

That was an hour ago and now, Seiji was staring hard at his lover, who stared back at him through the mirror. He had a look of uncertainty in his eyes and it made Sono chuckle a low chuckle, first time in a long time.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Hm? Oh nothing...just thinking."

"About? You were the one dead set on this after I asked. Hell, I tried to push it off as a delirium from blood loss, but you didn't give me much insentive to say no. What's stopping you now?"

Sono turned to look Seiji in the eye and noticed that one of his hands was behind his back. Quirking his brow, the blond looked at him and Seiji nodded, showing him what he was holding and Sono could not hold back to gasp that rose from his throat.

In Seijis hand was a gun, a 9mm semi automatic pistol. But that wasn't what surprised him. What surprised him was the level of comfort Seiji had with it. He looked at it like he had held it many times before.

Pulling a spare magazine out of his pocket and locked it in the gun with a loud click, Seiji said,

"Do you remember when I said my foster dad was a cop?"

Sono nodded, so he continued.

"Well, when I was going out to Tokyo for school, he gave me this for protection, saying that even though Japan is safe, there's always that off chance. He took me out to a range, had me practice for a while and it turns out I'm a natural with this thing. I even have a special permit to carry and use...I figure it's time to use it."

"That's...uh...comforting, I guess. Hehe. My boyfriend carrying a gun. Makes me feel a bit safer I guess."

"Trust me, I don't ever like using this. The fact that I have Ashi hold this for me is enough. I don't ever want this thing in my house...it makes me nervous sometimes to even look at it...but holding it...I feel unstoppable...are you ready to go?"

"Almost...just need a minute to collect my thoughts...you understand what you're getting yourself into, right? Takeo does terrible things to me...I need you to be prepared for that."

Seiji nodded, sticking his weapon in his coat pocket and walked up behind his lover, moving some of his hair aside and kissed his neck, whispering,

"It'll be alright. We've planned this for over a week now. If something goes wrong, we have every possible out imaginable."

"But what if it's not enough...I don't want to die, Seiji but I don't want to see you get hurt. I need you to promise me that you'll be careful. Takeo isn't someone to mess around with. Any notion that something is wrong and he'll kill you before he kills me. Promise me...you'll only come when it's time. No sooner."

Seiji leaned his head against his lovers shoulder, staring at their reflections. He understood fully of what was going to happen tonight and he had mentally prepared himself.

Sono was going to get hurt tonight, he knew that, he understood that...he wasn't looking forward to it. But the blond made him promise to wait until Yakura, the police and an ambluance were present before making a move.

This was going to be tough...Seiji nodded.

"I promise."

Sono smiled and turned his head to kiss him, a long over due kiss. Seiji kissed back, though very hesitantly. And Sono seemed to pick up on his lovers reluctance as he broke apart, whispering,

"I'll be ok...If I've lasted thing long...I'm sure I can last one more night..."

"That's my worry. You said it yourself. Takeo is unpredictable. What if...what if he kills you before we're ready..."

Sono didn't say anything; he admitted quickly that Seiji had a point. If Takeo did decide to kill him tonight...he wouldn't be able to stall him for long.

And something in his heart was telling him it might be more true than he realised. All day, he was having mini panic attacks, feeling little pains here and there. Almost like his body was getting ready for tonight.

But what hurt most was his right arm. Something in his arm tingled and he couldn't figure out why. He would find himself clutching it every few hours to stop its weird feeling.

There was no time for this. It was time to leave.

Sighing, he looked up at Seiji, who looked back at him with a look of determination. The blond smiled meekly at him.

"Alright...let's go."

Seiji nodded again and followed the blond out the door, locking up and remembered to stay within 10 feet away so as not to draw suspicion. The entire walk was riddled with tension as Seiji went over the plan in his brain.

It was simple. Wait for Yakura and the others to show and then make his move. He could do that. He could definitely do that.

Could he do it...could he really just stand by, knowing that his lover was being beaten to holy hell and back...or what would happen if rape was in the picture again? Dealing with doctors about that was one thing.

He couldn't do that again. Gripping the gun in his pocket, he urged himself to stay calm as he watched Sono look around and walk into an alley. This was it. Now all he had to do was wait. Pressing himself up against the nearest wall, he stuffed his other hand in his pocket, ready to call or text Yakura if he felt they were running behind. He prayed inwardly they remembered the times they set up.

Because this was not the day for any delays.

Sono turned into the alley and stopped upon seeing Takeo sitting there, a cigarette in his mouth and a bloody knife by his leg. The made the blond shudder, trying not to think of who the man might've taken down before tonight.

But Takeo looked at his watch, tilted his head and exhaled some smoke from his lungs before saying,

"You're early...10 minutes early..."

"...I just thought you'd like to start a little earlier this time...more fun for you, I g-guess."

Sono cursed the tone of his voice. He could hear the tremble in his vocal cords and he shivered, trying to collect himself.

It seemed like Takeo didn't catch the tremor. His blue eyes widened as he stood and flung his smoke the other direction, walking towards the blond with a look of interest in his orbs.

Sono remained still, not showing a sign of fear, at least he felt like he wasn't showing any sights. Takeo reached up, the blonds eyes shut tightly, awaiting a strike to the face.

What he got was a tender touch his his cheek, caressing under the bruise he left last time. His eyes shot open at the touch, even more so when he saw the look of adoration in Takeos eyes.

The man smiled a dark smile.

"I'm shocked...what's the occasion?"

"No occasion...just...I...I still..."

Sono stopped talking as Takeo lifted his head and kissed his lips, his thin fingers running through his hair and his other hand drifting into his shirt, gently touching the slight scars from his whipping. All the while, he dove his tongue into the blonds mouth, moaning at the familier taste and moved them so he was pressing them both up against the wall.

Eventually, his hands gripped the blonds hips, trying to move his body closer to him. He moaned once more, feeling better than he had in years.

All the while, Sono was positivley reeling in this. His eyes remained wide open, only closing as Takeo pushed him against the wall and caressed his sides. The sudden change was odd and it frightened him more than when Takeo abused him.

Pretty soon, Takeo broke their kiss and looked at his captive straight in the eye, staring into a pit of confusion and surprise.

Takeo smiled, a sight Sono would never be used to seeing again, as the man pressed a soft kiss to his neck, whispering,

"I promise...I'll make it quick."

"Huh?"

Sono was even more put off by those words, making Takeo look at him and asked again what he meant. The man shut his eyes and reached into his pocket for a second knife, holding it against the blonds head.

Immediately, it became clear and Sonos heart felt like dropping into his stomach once again. This was it. All day, he was feeling weird about seeing Takeo again and now he understood why. His intuition was right.

Takeo was going to kill him. Right here.

His brown eyes were as wide as they could be and he stared at the knife for a few seconds before looking back at Takeo, whose eyes were still closed, as if he were thinking deeply about something serious.

Sono had to stall him as long as he could. Just for now. Mustering up his voice, he whimpered,

"Takeo please...I don't want to die...not now."

"That's really not up to us, is it? Besides, you were begging me to kill you before. What suddenly changed?"

"I...I...I don't know, just please, think about what you're doing. I don't want this..."

"Shhhh, don't be scared. I'll die with you. It's what I've wanted for a long time, babe. And besides, don't you want to see Naoki again?"

A strangled gasp left the blonds mouth and he felt he couldn't look away from the mans face. At last, he opened those blue eyes, staring at him and leaned over to caress his face with his free hand. The touch was cold as ice and it made the blond shiver under his skin before Takeo moved to grab something under his shirt and bringing it to the mans vision.

The gold shimmer shown brightly in Sonos eyes and he couldn't help but feel tears swell. His hand reached up to touch Takeos chest, taking it into his hand and opened the locket, showing the picture he had been seeing a lot of these last few months.

"You...you kept it...after all this time?"

"Why wouldn't I have."

Sono was at a loss for words as he stared at the picture in the locket. It looked as though Takeo had taken such good care of it after all this time. His pale thumb traced over Naokis face before looking at his own, seeing how happy he was back then, even in the midst of the abuse and hell he dealt with at home.

He recalled Naoki and Takeo being his perfect peace, the reason he had to live. They were everything to him then...then it all changed.

Looking back into Takeos eyes, Sono said,

"I don't understand...you said you hated Naoki for what he did to you...and yet you miss him...you said you want me dead for breaking your heart...but you still kept this...why?"

Takeo sighed and released the blond from his hold, backing away from him and clutched the locket in his hand, feeling his friends voice in his heart.

He could hear Naokis voice cursing at him, as he had for many years. The threats, the insults, everything. And he could hear Sonos crying from the funeral as he drove him home, saying that his heart felt crushed with their best friend dead.

Yes...Takeo missed Naoki even though he was the reason he died. He couldn't even understand it himself but even knowing what that boy did to him, took away what was his, he'd still have that memory in his mind.

He looked at Sono, still leaning against the wall, watching his every move. And he smiled. He knew very well why he did all this and knew from the moment he admitted it to himself, he knew that Sono Hanasaki would understand. He knew that he'd come crawling back after explaining himself.

Gripped his knife and extending his arms, as if he were presenting a showcase, Takeo said with a gleefull smile,

"Sono, don't you get it? All this...all the things I did over the years...I did this for him...I did it for you. You missed him so much when he died...and yes, I miss him too. I won't lie...I think having Naoki killed was the biggest mistake I've ever made. But that doesn't excuse anything. He had no right to take you from me, regardless of the situation. But that's the beauty of this...we can all be together again. I'll never forgive what he did...but with you...I can reclaim what was mine. And then everything will be perfect. We'll be together like we used to be. Best friends...me...Naoki...and you...isn't that what you wanted?"

For the first time since seeing Takeo again, Sono was dumbfounded and speechless. He pressed a hand to his heart and found it to be beating quicker than ever. This was...unreal.

The sincerity of Takeos voice...it convinced him to be truth. But why? Why was he beliving all of this? How could he believe all of this?

Shutting his eyes, he tried to block it all out, but all he saw was a memory of the three of them at that park, in their new uniforms, looking happier than they had been. Takeo was so different back then. His face...it was gentle. His pale skin and his long black hair combined in that blue uniform...he looked handsome.

He saw Naoki and his childlike attitude. His tanned skin and unruly brown hair that Sono would love to play with occasionally, it was like he never died.

Then that memory warped into that night in the alley, Sono holding a bleeding Naoki, waiting for the ambulance, his hysteric tears blocking his vision as Naoki had promised him everything would be alright.

The horrific graduation night, Sono could practically feel his busted ankle and scarred back once again from Takeos rage filled attack, just for turning him down and for loving Naoki in his place.

It took him years to accept that Naoki was gone and to a certain extent, Takeo was gone too. He had learned to live past it, live his own life, find love where he could...find hope again.

He met Seiji and thought the past was finally behind him. He could move on. He had that chance to move on...Seiji had poured his heart out to him that night, asking him a powerful question and that was his chance to move on...he couldn't give that up.

Not for Takeo...not for Naoki...never again.

In a fit of anger, Sonos fist clenched and came at Takeo so fast, he didn't expect it. He had punched the pale man so hard, Takeos head hit the wall behind him and he let out a growl of shock. Looking up, the man saw the blond standing there, fist shaking and brown eyes ablaze in hate. Takeos own eyes bore that same hate almost instantly.

"You bitch..."

"Me bitch? That's the best you have, Takeo? I used to think I was the one who was pathetic...the one who always needed someone there for me...and you know what...it wasn't anyone elses fault for it except for my own. My own and yours. You twisted my thoughts, played with my emotions and made me feel like I was nothing!...you...you're an idiot...how could you ever think that I wanted you to do these terrible things? That's not what I want! You know what I want? I want to move on from this! From you! I don't know where you got it in your skull that I wanted all this...but you need to wake up...I have my own life to live and I refuse to let you screw it up!"

Sono was shaking hard at this point, from his fist where he punched Takeos cheek to his legs, having just enough energy to keep him standing. And Takeo, while rubbing his face, was none too pleased with being punched so carelessly.

Reaching behind him, he swiftly pulled out his own gun and shot the blond in his calf, hearing a loud scream and a loud thud as he fell. He smirked and stood back up, walking over to him and kicked his stomach several times, each cry getting more and more choked every second.

A particularly hard kick had Sono suddenly cough up blood, staining his cheek. Takeos brow arched and he moved the blond to his back, straddling his hips and grabbed his right arm, slamming it to the ground and with such inhuman force, ripped off both his jacket sleeve and shirt sleeve. Nearly crushing the mans arm, Takeo pulled out his knife again, looked at the slightly squirming blond and muttered with such venom,

"Don't...move."

From there, Takeo began his work, carving into the blonds arm, ignoring the agonizing screams coming from the body below him. He could feel those long legs kicking under him, but he didn't let it phase him. He instead used this to grip the blonds wrist tighter and quite enjoyed the screams that were coming from the blonds mouth. Eventually, as he worked, he found that the blood got in his way of sight, but Takeo was too focused to care.

His other hand held his wrist tighter, feeling his bones struggling to maintain as he carved deeper into Sonos arm, feeling the skin tremble under his blade.

"This is your fault...this is your fault...I could've made it easy on you...I could have killed us both and we wouldn't have felt any pain...but you...spouting out shit about moving on and loving someone else...he's nothing...they're all nothing...you're mine...you've always been mine...Naoki knew that and he died for touching what belongs to me...now you'll see...they'll all see...no one fucks with me...no one fucks with Mizuno Takeo...not anyone...not Naoki...Especially not you!"

He finished his loud thought by stabbing his already bloody blade into the blonds shoulder, cackling at the anguished scream that ripped from his victims mouth. This was a million times better than he could possibly imagine.

Finally, after taking some deep, collective breaths, he was finished and he sat back up, licking the blood from his blade and smiling.

If Sono was pale before, he was a ghost right about now. His eyes were wide open, tears pouring and he was shaking, unable to move.

There was a pretty good sized stab wound in his right shoulder, oozing blood that stained his shirt. But Takeo's biggest accomplishment was the state of the blonds arm...His right arm, soaked in his own blood, clearly showed a perfect carve of the word **娼婦** (whore).

"I must say...it looks good on you...maybe I should carve that same word right into your head?"

Moving his knife so it was sitting next to his leg, Takeo shifted himself to sit on the mans stomach, chuckling at the cringe on Sonos face.

"C'mon, where's that bravado now, slut?"

He smacked the blonds face, cracking his head to the left, then again to the right. He did this for several minutes, his smile fading and a look of pure rage taking over as Sono was not fighting back.

He ceased his assault and unzipped the mans jacket, ripping his shirt and landed a hard punch right about the blond ribs, causing him to cry out suddenly. He was sure one of his ribs was now cracked, thanks to Takeos insanely strong land.

Takeo then landed another assault on his body with a hard punch, this time right above Sonos heart.

This caused the blond to have a very mild seizure, his brown eyes rolling in the back of his head and a scream ripped from his mouth. Takeo could see the two very large bruises from where he had hit and felt that his game was over.

He gripped Sonos throat with both hands, strangling him and knocking his head against the rocks and ground. Both of the blonds hands came to try and pull him away, but Takeo was nearly crushing his neck. He tried spitting blood into Takeos eye, but that spurred him on more.

"Die you little whore...die already!"

He gripped tighter and Sonos vision was starting to go dark, his body was getting heavy.

When Takeo saw the blond was now losing what little fight he had left, he grabbed his knife and held it just over the bruise above his heart, smiling and saying out loud,

"Say hi to Naoki for me...I'll be there soon..."

- _meanwhile-_

Seiji couldn't hear anything that was going on in that alley. Just a few hushed words here and there.

He was fidgeting, anxiously waiting for Yakura to show up. He had recently gotten a text that said they were on their way and to not engage Takeo directly, no matter the costs.

But not knowing what was going on in there made him nervous and at the same time grateful no one was walking around this area at night.

Playing with the safety on his gun in his pocket, he was shaking violently, not liking that his lover was doing the hard part by himself. He should've followed him, not caring about the chances of him dying. Why should Sono have to suffer this alone?

A loud angry cry reached his ears and it made him gasp and jump, clicking the safety back on and freeze. That cry was instantly followed by a loud thump to the wall, alongside some angry yelling, some of which Seiji couldn't hear.

But he was right to say he heard Sono yell loud and clear,

 _"I have my own life to live...not screw it up!"_

He didn't catch the rest, but he was proud that Sono was at least the brave one in this. Seiji might be the one carrying a weapon, but if he were in this situation, he probably would've rolled over and died from fear.

His thoughts were cut off by the sound of a gunshot...and Sonos anguished scream.

He shut his eyes tightly, not allowing himself to hear this, forcing himself to not intervene this quickly. His heart was racing and he was trying to stay calm. Sono told him this would happen. He would hear his love get hurt tonight...he had to push through it.

But the screams didn't stop. They got worse. It sounded like the blond was being skinned to death by the way he was scre-

Seiji gasped at that thought and pulled out his phone, typing angerly at Yakura, asking where they were.

In a split second, he heard back...and saw the cars turning the corner of the street, almost ghost like with how silent they were. Yakura and Oishi jumped out of their car in seconds, hinting that it was time to move.

Seiji wasted no time as they moved into the alley, hearing Takeo say something along the lines of

"Say hi to Naoki for me...I'll be joining you soon."

At that moment, Yakura fired his gun, shooting the knife out of Takeos hand and making the man cry out in surprise.

"Hands up, Mizuno! And step away from the man!"

Takeo looked behind him and saw 3 men standing there, all guns pointed at him. He was astounded that he didn't hear them, but the sounds of Sono screaming might've drowned out some of the noises and-

His blue eyes widened madly and his face contorted to rage. This was a set up. And the blond played him like a fool!

Turning his attention to the blond below him, he landed a quick punch to his face, seeing him wince and was about to land another before a gunshot the the arm stopped him, making him fall off the blonds body and move away quickly, clutching his bleeding arm.

Yakura mentioned to the officers to move in and detain him; Takeo didn't pay attention to them. He was focused on something he hadn't expected to see.

He was stuck on a man not in a police uniform, setting his weapon down and getting to his knees, gently taking the blond in his arms, gently rubbing his face, wiping the dirt off and pressed kisses to his forehead. He could see that Sono was struggling to raise his tired arms to hold him, but the man had stopped him and looped one of his arms around his neck, propping him up on his knee.

He saw that the man was giving the blonds most likely aching temples butterfly pecks to try and calm him down and it was all Takeo needed to confirm his thoughts.

This man must've been the man he saw with Sono that night they were on the boat...but that wasn't what astounded him either.

He looked...just like Naoki, from the messy brown hair to his tanned skin. It was like seeing a ghost and for the first time ever, Takeo felt afraid. He backed away and hit the wall behind him, eyes wide as the officers advanced on him.

"Mizuno Takeo, you are under arrest for multiple charges of homicide and attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent and whatever you say will be held against you...I've been waiting a long time for this day, Takeo."

Takeo said nothing, but allowed the officers to hoist him up and put his hands behind his back. He knew he had been fooled, but had no strength to stop them. The blond had played him like a tool...only fitting considering that Takeo had done the same to him.

Just before he was handcuffed, he heard from behind him a frantic voice,

"Sono! Stop!"

He turned suddenly, curious, only to be greeted with a bullet in his thigh, making him drop with a scream. It didn't stop there. Another bullet landed in his hip, slightly grazing him but enough to make small contact.

When he finally looked up, he gasped to see the blond standing there, holding his boyfriends gun with his bloody right hand, the whore kanji visible and a dark look in his brown eyes. Takeo knew that look all too well.

It was a look intent on killing.

Sono shot another bulled into Takeos left shoulder, making him cry out and didn't hesitate to shoot him again in the other shoulder. He had been moving closer with every shot.

By the time he had the gun pressed against his head, Takeo saw very clearly the hurt look that Sono had, telling him that deep down, this was what he had resorted to do.

Takeo smiled and shut his eyes, waiting for the bullet through his brain, only to be greeted with the familiar clicking sound of an empty gun.

Sono pulled the trigger several more times, growing more hysterical as no bullets came out. After the 6th time of failure, he screamed, constantly pulling and Takeo had never seen the blond more out of his element. Tear poured from the blonds eyes, his face red with exhaustion and trauma.

The barrel of the gun touched his forehead once again and Takeo looked up at his former lover, his reason for madness and wanted so badly to knock the gun from his hands, kill all these men and just fuck the blond to death into the dirt. But he found he couldn't move; not with the blond looking so delicious.

After a while, the Naoki lookalike came up behind him and embraced him, making the blond gasp and let out a cry of pain, almost instantly putting up a fight and struggling to be let loose. The man held tightly, his eyes locked onto those frantic brown eyes and helped him slid to his knees, feeling him calm down and let out loud, painfilled gasps. He took this opportunity to touch the gun in his hands and said, as softly as he could,

"No more...no more, Sono, it's alright..."

He spoke while rubbing the blonds waist, trying to coax him into trusting him. He nuzzled his sore neck and whispered,

"Let go of the gun...it's alright."

With trembling hands, Sono allowed himself to let go of the gun, breathing hard, feeling his lungs nearly explode and coughed up blood, tears never stopping. Takeo was blown away by how beautiful he looked right now. His golden hair, his pale skin, caked with his own blood, his own anger, his own sadness and now Takeo smiled to himself. All this and more...the blonds heart would stop soon. He'd be dead by tomorrow and Takeo would die afterwards. Naoki would see them shortly after all.

After a short moment, the officers finally pulled Takeo away to their squad cars as the blond was taken to the ambulance, his boyfriend following suite and turned to lock eyes with the madman accountable. Takeo suddenly felt that fear again and scoffed, turning his head away. Seiji said nothing but attended to the blond man in the bed.

The cars took off in different directions and it was torture. In the squad car, Takeo looked out the window, saw the city lights pass by and he couldn't help but chuckle. This night had certainly not gone as he had planned, but it was starting to shape up better than he thought.

In the ambulance, Seiji held onto Sonos hand as they sped down the roads, never taking his eyes off him. The EMT was fitting him with an oxygen mask, checking his pulse and trying to pull out any shards of bullets. His right arm was still coated in dried blood and Seiji refused to look at the markings Takeo made. He'd have to remind himself to talk to the doctor about covering any scars somehow.

Bringing his loves hand to his mouth, he pressed a kiss to his knuckles, tears beading in his eyes. He heard the EMT talk to the others over the radio about the seriousness of the situation and to get any medical professional on site immediately.

His eyes locked to his lovers beaten face and he whispered to himself,

"Don't go, Sono...please don't leave me. Stay with me..."

"...S...eiji...-kun"

His voice...it was weak and strained, but Seiji heard it clear as day. His eyes widened and he found he was staring into his lovers tired eyes. The grip on his hand tightened and he kept rubbing his knuckles with his thumb. His heart was pounding rapidly and he said through panicked breaths,

"I'm here, love...I'm here. It's alright...you're safe..."

Sono smiled through the mask, unable to do anything else. His vision was starting to tunnel and he shuddered at the sudden chill going through his body. The last several hours shot through his mind like a rocket and he wanted to laugh at himself for shooting Takeo so many times...but he could already feel everything shutting down. He wanted to sleep.

Turning his attention back to his lover, who had such a soft yet iron grip on his horribly injured hand, Sono found he couldn't shut his eyes not. Not until he did something for Seiji and for himself. Something he should have done a while ago.

He weakly opened his mouth to speak, having only croaks of nothing leave. But Seiji was quick to move his head down and encourage him to try and speak again. When Sono did, he managed out,

"...A...s...sk...me"

Seijis own eyes widened more in confusion, his near tears almost blinding him. Lacing his fingers through Sonos own, he said,

"Ask you? Ask you what?"

The blond said nothing at first; Seiji was growing frantic at what Sono was trying to say and he saw his left arm struggling to move. The EMT noticed this in a heartbeat and almost tried to restrain the blonds arm. But Seiji pushed him away, a petrified glare in his eyes as he watched Sono struggle to move his arm, a constant cringe on his face. When he stopped moving, his eyes mentioned for Seiji to look down and when he did, his eyes trailed to see that Sono was pointing at his right ring finger.

A lightbulb went off in the mans head and he reached into his pocket, pulling out the ring, suddenly feeling his heart cracking. If this was what he thought it was, then there would be no telling what Seiji would do after the fact.

A shrill sound broke him out of his trance and one of the EMTs said that Sonos heart rate was dropping fast and to get ready to grab the defibrillator. Seiji looked at the man and he heard him weakly say with a small smile,

"Ask...me...aga...in."

Seiji couldn't help the tears finally leaking from his eyes and he got closer to the man, gripping his hand and gripping the ring in the other, asking with such heart break,

"...Sono-san...will you...marry me?"

The question wasn't something the EMT was not used to hearing, especially in a situation like this, but nevertheless, the one assisiting Sono looked at Seiji with such a surprised look, even more so at the ring itself. He looked at the blond and was dumbfounded to see his eyes open, his arm being lifted by Seiji with such care.

Sonos smile through his mask started to become hard to maintain, but as Seji slipped the ring back on his finger, it was back with full force and he felt his heart throb. He looked at it for a few seconds and layed his hand down, looking Seiji in the eye with a gentle look, the same look he gave after their first fight...the look that Seiji knew meant he loved him...the look that he gave him after Seiji proposed the first time.

He felt horrible for waiting this long and putting Seiji through all this hell...perhaps it was worth it now.

"...yes..."

In a split second, the sound of the heart monitor announced the Sono had flat lined.


	11. Chapter 11

It was really bright...like...brighter than bright.

His eyes weakly opened, his vision blurry and he had to squint a few times to get his bearings.

Finally, Sonos half open eyes could see a little better and he tried to move his head, looking around at the room he was in.

It was pure white and it was blinding, so blinding he had to cover his eyes with his arm...that was wrapped in a light cast. Confused, he stared at it for a few seconds before coming to the conclusion he was in a hospital room, letting a low silent sigh pass his lips.

He found the strength to sit up, wincing at the pain in his body and rubbed his head, trying to remember all that happened in the last few hours...days?

Looking to his left, he was staring out the window and saw the sun beginning to set. The birds flew by, chirping away and it made him smile. It was like they were singing for him, singing that he was alive.

Alive...he was alive...Takeo.

He remembered it so clearly now and his smile faded a little. Takeo had tried to kill him...but Sono had tried to kill Takeo in response...clearly they both failed.

Shaking the memory away, he looked around and saw that he was in a pretty spacious room, a little area for guests to sit on the other side. There was a table near by with flowers and cards, wishing for him to get well soon...from his job. His eyes widened and wondered how much everyone knew of what had happened.

A sudden shuffling noise from the guest area made him jump and the curtains moved aside.

His eyes widened at the sight of Seiji standing there with two bottles of water, his own eyes wider than he could manage. In less than a second, Seiji sat next to him on the bed, dropping the bottles in the process and embraced him, kissing his head, his neck, his ear, anywhere he could find.

"Oh thank god...I thought I lost you..."

Sono choked on his own excitement as he embraced his lover back, his hands gripping the mans shoulders like a lifeline. He couldn't believe it. He was alive.

He survived all that...he actually lived through Takeos abuse...

Seiji smiled at the trembling love in his arms, knowing full well he needed to get these emotions out as much as he needed. He ran his fingers through his golden hair, freshly washed from the nurses and kissed his cheek.

"How do you feel, Sono?"

The question stuck in his mind and he pushed away for a second, tears rolling down his cheeks, followed by a smile.

"I feel incredible. Sore as all hell, but I feel amazing...refresh my memory though...what happened in the last few hours?"

Seijis smiled faded and he averted his eyes, a dark look in those brown orbs. It made Sono suddenly become very nervous and he took the mans hands in his, staring at him.

The man sighed and said,

"Sono, you've been out cold for 2 days. You lost a lot of blood...and I mean a LOT of blood. When they closed up your wounds in your leg and arm, you were already...sort of dead..."

Seiji shut his eyes at the word 'dead', but he sighed deeply and said,

"You flat lined on the way here, but they brought you back. They had just finished stitching you up before you flat lined again...they almost couldn't bring you back..."

Sonos own eyes widened as Seijis grip in his hands tightened, eyes not opening. He was shaking and Seiji exhaled a trembling breath before finally looking up and said,

"They gave you CPR and used machines on you...you almost just...vanished. But you came back...you were practically fighting for your life when you came back. After that, they put you in here and you've been here since. God the thoughts that went through my head...I was afraid I was going to lose you...my heart was almost ready to give out if they told me you were gone...but you're alive. You're alive..."

Seiji reached up to slid some of his lovers blond hair behind his ear, smiling at his wide eyed expression. He could tell Sono was near breaking at this point and he had to be sure he remained calm. The poor blond had already been through so much...

He leaned over to kiss his lovers lips softly before looking at him with a smile returning. It made Sono smile back at him, leaning over to nuzzle his neck. In response, Seiji wrapped his arms around him, kissing the top of his head and rubbed his arms.

Smiling to himself, Sono reached up, his bandaged hand touching his neck, feeling how it was...swollen?

He moved up and took the mirror from the nightstand, looking at his neck, eyes wide as plate as he saw the bruises all around his throat. His face...there was a bright purple bruise on his cheek and his eye, not to mention some small cuts here and there.

He looked up at Seiji, who calmly took the mirror and said,

"Don't stress it. The doctor said these bruises will go away, but it'll take time. Especially your eye and neck. But I was scared shitless...when they brought you in here, poking you with these stupid I.V.s...I was scared that I wasn't going to see you again...especially after...you said yes."

"Yes? Yes to what?"

The look on Seijis face was more confused than hurt, because he chuckled and took the mans hand, lifting it and kissing the jewel that adorned his finger. Immediately, Sono understood and a deep red blush graced his cheeks.

Seiji smiled and said,

"In the state you were in, I wanted to push off what you wanted as near death delirium. But...I thought about it as I watched you here...and I want so badly for you to be sincere. You wanted me to ask you again...and I did...and you said..."

"I said yes...yes...I did, didn't I?"

"Do I need to ask you again? Because I'll keep asking you until you say yes over and over."

"You don't have to keep asking...but I already gave you an answer. I said yes..."

Seijis eyes slowly started beaming as Sonos red blush faded to pink, averting his eyes and said,

"Yes...Seiji-kun...I will marry you...now stop your worrying."

Sono barley got his sentence out before Seiji tackled him onto his bed, kissing his lips deeply, his hands gently caressing his bruised neck. The blond moaned in the kiss, his bandaged hand digging into Seijis brown locks, feeling how...greasy it felt.

Breaking the kiss, Sono said,

"Seiji, have you not showered at all? You feel...well...kinda..."

"Gross? Haha, yeah I can't imagine why I wouldn't. I haven't left this room since you came in here. I waited for you to wake up...I needed to see your eyes again before I even made the choice to take care of myself again."

"God, you're such a child..."

"Hehe and you love me."

Sono chuckled and nodded, before he leaned up to kiss him again.

A thought suddenly shot across his mind and he sat up quickly, eyes wide with horror.

"Takeo! Where is he? What happened? I remember that I shot him...did I kill him? Oh god, if I killed him, I-"

The younger man was quick to grab his shoulders and keep him anchored as he trembled, looking him dead in the eye and said,

"Sono, calm down! No, Takeo isn't dead...sadly. I would have loved to see that. You shot him in such minor spots; he's fine. He was transfered to a prison hospital before being detained by Yakura. He's gone...you don't have to worry about him anymore."

Sonos eyes were still wide as he stared at his lover, who looked back at him with a stern, but gentle look.

"He's not coming after you anymore. It's over..."

Those wide brown eyes suddenly pooled with tears and he wrapped his arms around his chest, crying softly in his shoulder, while Seiji smiled and rubbed his lovers back.

The blond cried out gently,

"Seiji-kun, I'm so sorry. I never should've gotten you in this situation. If things were different...if things ended up badly...you would've been killed...oh god I would have lost you...oh god, I'm so sorry..."

"No Sono, I should be apologizing to you. I treated you so terribly when I should have been helping you the whole way. I told you I knew about Takeo before you told me and I was stupid to let you continue. I should have confronted you, I should have stopped this before it got worse. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Sono. I promise you...I'll never do that to you ever again...we told each other we'd trust each other and look what happened...god, we're terrible."

"That we are...but it's fine. We'll be terrible together, Seiji."

The two men laughed and shared a soft kiss, Seijis hands gripping the sides of his lovers head, wanting to pour his love into the man. Sono, in the while, pressed his hands against the mans chest, feeling the love Seiji gave him, his heart feeling like it was repairing itself.

A sudden shrill sounded, the sound of Seijis cell phone in his pocket, which made them both jump. Groaning, Seiji pulled his phone out and opened it, the irritated look on his face fading into a look of sudden excitement. Sono tilted his head, greatly confused.

Seiji typed something with such speed and then shut his phone, saying,

"Sono...I have a surprise for you and I need you to promise me you won't freak out on me. Doctor said your heart is sort of wonky with all the stress so I need you to be as calm as you can about this. Ok?"

Sono said nothing, but nodded as Seiji stood and walked to the door, smiling at him before walking out of the room, leaving the blond alone with his thoughts.

Sighing, he leaned back in his bed, staring at his ring, seeing how it glowed in the reflection of the setting sun, which was nearly set all the way down.

Looking out the window, he saw the beautiful city of Osaka...for the first time ever, it was like he was looking at a whole new city. It reminded him of Fukushima...it reminded him of home.

No. Fukushima was his home city, but it wasn't his home anymore...but he couldn't deny it was a comforting nostalgia.

This whole Takeo nonsense...it really made him think. Sitting up properly, he looked around the room once more and finally realized something interesting about it.

This was a room specifically for someone who requested a solo room. It was for wealthier patients...which told Sono he was in a pretty high end hospital.

How in the world did Seiji afford this? With their jobs as manga-ka, they made a great income, but not this great.

Looking at the flowers by his bed, he picked up some of the cards, seeing that, as he saw before, they were all from some of his coworkers, the ones that knew him well.

He saw two cards; one from his boss and one from Yasuda, both wishing him well. It made him smile and look over the flowers. Some tulips, roses...they were beautiful and Sono felt his heart sing at how many people knew about this and wanted him to get well.

One card though was hidden from his vision and the only reason he caught it was a green envelope with white glitter. Tilting his head, he picked the card up and opened it, his brown eyes scanning the card. After a few minutes, he sat up suddenly, his eyes widening in shock, interest...happiness.

This wasn't real. This couldn't be real. In no way in the layers of heaven or hell could this be a real card.

At the top of the card, in slightly sloppy handwriting, the card wrote,

"叔父！すぐに良くなる！あなたを愛してます！(Uncle! Get better soon! Love you!)"

In the center of the card, the card was written in a completly different language, but somehow, his brain translated it in seconds.

"Giardino, spero che tu stia bene. Ti amo e mi manchi. Chiamateci presto, il miele! (I hope that you are well. I love and miss you. Call us soon, honey!)"

That name...Giardino...that was Italian for Garden...there was only one person alive who called him that.

The card dropped in his lap as his palms suddenly got shaky. This was too good to be true.

A sudden knock at the door made Sono jump and spin his head to face Seiji walking in, a smile on his face. Then he saw the door hadn't opened all the way.

"Remember...don't freak out."

His brow furrowed as Seiji turned the other side of the door, smiling and talking softly. Then the door opened and the blonds heart stopped all together...or at least hit a high note, given the sped up sounds on the heart monitor.

Seiji walked in casually and was followed a man in a suit. The man had short blond hair and a very strong build. His glasses, oddly enough, made him look slightly intimidating.

Sono didn't feel fear. He felt...odd. Like there was an odd feeling in his chest, his stomach, his head.

The man smiled at him and looked at the green paper in his lap, a small chuckle leaving his mouth.

"I see you got their note. Haha...Miyuki was worried we wouldn't get it to you in time after we had heard...god, you look like crap."

Sono couldn't help it; he laughed out loud to himself before saying,

"Says the one who looks as though he's the lawyer for a vampire. You look like you haven't slept in days."

The mans smile didn't fade as his briefcase dropped to the floor and walked over to the bed, sitting down and taking the man into his arms, hugging him so tightly, Sono felt his wounds on his back sting. But he hugged back and said,

"It's so good to see you, Oto...it's been too long."

"15 goddamn years, you brat. Jesus, had your friend here not called us we never would have known what happened. Takeo? Seriously? That bastard has the nerve to come after you? After what dad almost did to him?"

"I know, Nii-san, I know. But it's fine now...wait...what friend?"

Oto pointed behind him, his thumb directed at Seiji, who was in the guest area, putting things into his bag.

"Yeah. I guess after all these years, you neglected to take my name off the list of contacts in case of an emergency. So he called me during work, explained what happened and well...I'm happy he did. Those detectives I hired for this Takeo case really payed off...I had just hoped they'd have caught him before he found you...here, let me look you over..."

Oto took the mans face in his hands, looking him over, examining his bruises around his neck and his face. Lifting his shirt from behind, he rubbed the mans back, feeling him tense and shiver, a loud gasp in his ear.

"Christ...that monster...are you alright?"

"I've been better..."

"I gather. This is like...deja vu. It's like your graduation all over again...are you sure you're alright?"

Sono smiled and gently removed his brothers hands, looking at him with such a sad stare.

"Honestly nii-san, I'm fine. I was stupid to believe dealing with Takeo was something I needed to do alone...my boyfr-...heh, my fiancee helped me."

In the guest area, Seiji was trying hard not to overhear the brothers conversations, smiling as they finally talked for the first time in a long time.

But the sound of the blond saying the word, 'fiancee' made Seiji freeze and smile wildly, almost laughing as Oto loudly said,

"Say what?! Fiancee? When and where did this happen?! Who?!"

Sonos smile didn't waver as he pointed to the man in the guest area; Oto followed his fingers and his eyes widened behind his glasses, fists clenching. Feeling the sensation of being watched, Seiji looked over and waved at them with a grin.

Oto didn't know what to make of this. When he had gotten the phone call from the man, he was horrified to hear that his brother was attacked by Takeo once again and was currently in the hospital. Oto had then demanded to get him transferred to the best hospital in Osaka in a solo room, paying for it all and was on the first flight out of Tokyo.

During his flight, he had gotten email after email from Yakura, briefing him on the situation, telling Oto what he already knew. So, in response, he forwarded the email to his father, knowing he'd like to be aware.

He received an email back moments later from Kenji, demanding to know everything. Oto told him he'd explain once he had gotten Sonos side of it.

He had met the man outside the hospital once he landed and never once did he expect him to be involved with his brother...his baby brother...Oto felt his blood boil as he stood suddenly, surprising the man in bed and even Seiji grew confused.

The older man glared daggers at Seiji, who felt frozen under his gaze...he knew that gaze...it was the same gaze Sono gave him if he was furious about something serious.

"You...just who do you think you are? What are your intentions?"

Seiji raised his hands in defense, eyes wide and confused. Where did this come all of a sudden?

"Intentions? What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me! Why else would you be involved with my family like this?! Where do you get off getting yourself into this?"

"Nii-san!"

Oto stopped and turned to look at the man, brown eyes staring at him softly.

"Seiji helped me more than I ever imagined someone to help me...he's always been there for me. If it wasn't for him...I'd be dead...I...please don't yell at him. He loves me and wanted nothing more than to help me."

The young suddenly gasped and gripped a nearby oxygen mask, breathing softly, the sound of his heart monitor slightly speeding up. Oto was by his side in a second, rubbing his back and gripping his hand. Seiji was at his other side, his hand caressing his thigh.

The blond finally caught his breath, letting a shuddering sigh pass through his lips as he took off the mask and stuck it back on the holster with a grimace.

"That tastes disgusting...how can oxygen be so foul?"

Oto chuckled and patted his brothers leg before standing up, pulling out his phone and said,

"Well, I can honestly say I have more than my share of news for the family...father will be happy to know you're safe..."

Oto opened his phone and all the blood in Sonos face drained in seconds. Extending his arms, he cried out,

"Nii-san, no!"

There was a flash of yellow and it took both Oto and Seiji a second to realize Sono was on his feet, smacking the phone out of his brothers hand, hearing it slide across the floor.

It also took Sono a second to realize he was up out of the bed and there was a searing pain in his leg, making him cry out and fall to the hard floor, to which Seiji followed him down, helping him back up and didn't hear himself as he said,

"Damnit Sono, stop stressing your wounds! This is only going to make it worse. C'mon, get back into bed."

The man helped the blond back into bed and reached for the mask again, but Sono stopped him with a hand to his arm, a soft but guilty look.

"Don't...I'm fine..."

"Are you? You moved so fast I didn't even see you. What was that about?"

A blush creeped over Sonos cheeks and looked up at his brother, who was looking at him astounded. He wanted to be mad, but it was so sudden he was too confused to be angry.

"Oto...please don't call him. I...I'm sorry, but I just don't want father to know about me."

"What? Sono, why? I thought you two had settled this ages ago."

When the blond averted his eyes, Oto felt his vision go red.

"You can't be serious...you two still haven't talked about this?"

"It's not that...I mean...we talked. A bit. But...I don't know. Father is someone I don't...feel comfortable dealing with right now. It's not that I don't trust him, far from that...it's just...after all that's happened...I still can't bring myself to be comforted by father...even after all this time...I still can't...and you...please don't look at me like that, Oto...I know how it sounds..."

Seiji looked at his lover with such sadness, feeling the hurt from Sonos heart. He remembered the conversation they had months ago, where Sono was conflicted with how he felt dealing with the chances of dying by Takeo and how he couldn't fight back, but with his fathers comfort, he pushed it away out of fear.

He wanted to kiss him, give him some sort of relief, but he saw Otos arm move at the corner of his eye. He saw quick movement and knew instantly what Oto was planning to do.

His brown eyes narrowed at the man; Sonos eyes shut and he cringed.

There was a muffled thud and when Sono opened his eyes, he gasped when he saw Seiji gripped Otos wrist tightly, a glare in his eyes. Even the older blond was shocked.

Seijis eyes glared darker and he said,

"Your brother went through shit that was worse than hell. He's lucky to be alive and when he tries to be honest with you, you raise your hand to him? What kind of brother are you?"

"You stay out if this, Yamada. You called me here. I pushed away my life for the moment to see my brother, a brother I haven't seen in 15 years!"

"So don't you think you should be a bit more compassionate? This is not why I called you here!"

"Shut up, both of you!"

Both sets of eyes settled on the suddenly furious man in the hospital bed, who blushed again and he averted his eyes, looking at his sheets and said,

"I'm a grown man, damnit...stop treating me like a child...I'm sick of this...Oto, Seiji is apart of my life...accept it or leave...and we can end whatever it is we have."

Seiji could feel the muscles in Otos wrist tense tightly and behind his glasses his eyes widened in sudden fear. So he took the opportunity to let him go, his arm limp against his side.

"Nii-san...will you accept it? Accept the fact that I love this man...and he's helped more than anyone...in my whole life..."

Oto said nothing. He said nothing and he stared at his brother, who was giving him a look...a pleading look.

"Nii-san...?"

In a flash of his mind, Oto remembered back when they were younger, the day Takeo drove Sono home from Naokis funeral, tears running down his face. He had the innate feeling that his little brother would need a shoulder to cry on. He was spot on as the minute the teenager came through the door, he was sobbing hard and Oto was quick to hold him, rubbing his hair and kissing his temple.

And it hurt him greatly to hear him say that no one was there for him after Naoki died, but in a sense he was right. Holding him as he cried, telling him things were going to be alright, that was all he could do before he had to leave.

He was alone after that. And if that man did anything for Sono, literally anything he asked, even went so far as to risk his life for him...

Oto couldn't find fault in that. How could he.

Sighing, he moved to sit back on the bed and reached up to touch his brothers bruised face, rubbing under his eye.

"How can I ever say no to you...you've been through so much and I've done so little to help you. I love you and I'll always accept changes in your life if you feel you need to make them. So...if this man makes you happy...you really don't need my approval. And you certainly don't need fathers."

He smiled and removed his hand, feeling better after seeing the man smile at him. But then those brown eyes shifted to the man sitting next to him.

"Seiji...can you accept my brother being stubborn and being overprotective? Put yourself in his shoes. He's a father now and he's always been protective...and I would like...my brother back in my life..."

"Sono, don't say anymore. Why would I deny that?"

Seiji wrapped his arms around the blond and kissed his cheek, making Sono chuckle. He looked up at his brother, who smiled at him and ran his finger through his hair. This was the most of what he wanted.

He still was finding it hard to believe his brother was here, in Osaka, just to see if he was alright and that he was safe. The fact that Seiji was the one to call him was another surprise in and of it self.

His eyes lidded and he leaned back against his bed, rubbing his head and said,

"I appreciate that you both are here...but I'm tired. This whole experience might be over, but I feel like it lasted ages. Grown man I might be, but I'm taking this opportunity to sleep."

Oto smiled and nodded, standing up to grab his briefcase, his back to the man for a second while he went to grab his phone from the floor. He heard hushed talking and turned his head to glance at the bed. He blushed a brick red.

In the quick moment of privacy, Seiji had leaned over to press a kiss to the blonds lips, eyes closed in content. And he noticed that his hand was tracing over Sonos bandaged arm, rubbing where his wrist was. They broke apart and the younger man smiled at him, whispering that he'd be back in a few minutes.

Sono had smiled back and settled in bed, seemingly falling asleep. Oto took this chance to turn, mentioning to the man to meet him in the hallway.

"I apologize for my outburst, Yamada. I didn't realise you cared this much for him."

"I don't blame you. I can only imagine what's been going through your head. Haha, must be surprising for you...sorry I snapped too."

Oto chuckled and took a small drink of the water he had, glancing over at the younger man.

Seiji had this amazing smile on his face, staring at the door every so often. There was a small window to see into the room and he could see the blond was sound asleep, his arm twitching occasionally.

Oto finally sighed loudly, asking,

"Alright, I have to ask...how do you two meet? When?"

Seiji looked at the older man, confused at the aray of questions, but the man glared at him through his glasses.

"Don't look at me like that. You should understand my concern. He's my brother...my little brother...I haven't always been the best brother in the world, but after all this time, I still worry. After his incident with Takeo in school...I'm skeptical of everyone he's with. So tell me. Where and how long?"

The smile on Seijis face faded and he sighed, staring back into the room, seeing the his lover was tossing his head back and forth a bit, a cringe on his face. He had hoped it was just a pulse of pain in his leg rather than bad dreams.

The man stared at his own water cup, eyes darkening.

"I was taking pictures at the top of a tower, just to get some good landscape shots for a new volume I was working on...then I heard him talk to me and it was the most beautiful voice I'd ever heard...I didn't realize the person was just as beautiful. He invited me out for drinks and...one thing led to another and we ended up sleeping together. I had no idea what to do at that point. I just blurted out that I wanted him to be my boyfriend...he accepted, but I didn't realize the baggage he was carrying...heh my friend was the one who told me and I admit, I was angry."

Seiji stopped talking and looked up at Oto, whose glare changed to that of concern. But Seiji continued,

"I yelled at him, accusing him of using me. But he followed me...told me everything and I couldn't help myself. I threw myself at him, telling him everything was alright now...things went well for a while until I made the choice to ask him about his life. He eventually told me and...to be honest...it blew me away. The things he went though as a kid. A teenager...I felt horrible for him. That's when I promised him I would always be there for him and that he wouldn't be alone anymore...Oto, I'm not lying when I told you I love him."

"I never said I thought you were lying. I just said I was skeptical is all. You gotta look at this from my perspective. I watched him get abused by our father for years, deal with Naoki's death, only to suffer Takeos torture. He's been through a lot. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest that he'd have some issues."

"Issues? From what I was informed, Sono had a bit of a reputation before we met...he said that he felt happier when he felt needed...and it hurt me that he felt such sadness...sleeping with people just to feel happy and desired.."

"What?"

Seiji jolted after he heard Oto's confused what. Jerking his head to the man, he saw the older man with a flushed face and wide eyes. Seiji dropped his water and waved his hands in defense, knowing he screwed up in accidentally telling him this information, totally unsure of how to fix it.

Oto watched the man in front of him freak out just a little, but he stared at his water and stared at his reflection, chuckling to himself. His chuckle made Seiji freeze, even more confused.

"You know, before Sono graduated high school, Miyuki always told him that he better not prostitute himself for money, that she'd beat his ass if he did...well...I guess it's not for money...but to try and be happy? That still hurts me. I wish I had known. I would've helped him.."

"You had no way of knowing...it's hard, I know. Hearing him tell me all this wasn't easy either."

Oto nodded and stared at his brother through the window, feeling his heart ache.

The mans head stopped moving around, but he had a cringe on his face, his bandaged fist clenching and unclenching every so often. His eyes were open, staring at the ceiling. It was like he was in deep thought about something.

Oto sighed, his brown eyes glassy behind his glasses. His arms ached to hold his brother again, trembling. It was too long since they had seen each other and now that they were together again, he wanted more than anything to embrace him. But he held back, knowing that this talk with Seiji would help him understand more.

Taking a moment to collect himself, he asked Seiji,

"What happened to his arm? It's not broken, is it?"

Seiji was in the middle of drinking his water, but froze when Oto asked his question. It was a question he knew would come up eventually. He was actually surprised that Oto didn't ask right away. Turning his head to the older man, he blushed a little.

"Oh...no it's not. Takeo uh...carved into his arm..."

It was an answer Oto wasn't expecting. His eyes widened, dropping his cup and turned to Seiji, who was averting his eyes, clearly hiding the shame of this knowledge.

He tried so hard to keep his voice down; but he felt himself channeling his fathers anger as he snapped out,

"What?! Carved what into his arm?!"

Seiji gulped and gripped his arm, hating the memory of seeing that word...blood seeping out of it...he remembered kissing Sonos arm over and over after he was put in his recovery room, tears streaking his face, praying there would be no scar.

"Whore."

"Huh?"

"He carved the character for 'whore' into his arm..."

Seiji felt a dash of wind pass him and he looked to see the older man back in Sonos room, hovering over his body. Seiji panicked; Sono was unaware of what was written in his arm and he was trying to prevent the blond knowing about it.

He dashed back into the room and saw Oto gripping his brothers arm, gently as he could and Seiji could see his shoulders shaking. And he saw Sono looking at him with such a sad stare, his own eyes glassy with sadness.

It took Seiji a moment to realize that Oto was crying and crying hard over his brothers arm. He was practically cradling it, trying to hold in his sobs.

"God...damnit...why didn't you tell me, Sono...I would've helped you...why? Why did you keep this from me?! All I ever want to do is be there for you! You're my brother, damnit! And we've been estranged for too long...I should have known..."

Seiji couldn't say anything. Otos words were genuine, heart felt and full of realization. Sono, on the other hand, shut his eyes and used his other hand to grip his brothers hand, earning a shocked stare full of wet tears.

Sonos eyes didn't open as he trembled, gripping Otos hand tightly.

"Nii-san...there was no way you could have known about this...I didn't want you to know about this...I didn't want anyone to know. Leaving Fukushima was the best choice I made and yet, I made the foolish mistake in thinking I could just ignore you...and mother and father. But please understand I am a grown man. I have my own life to live and I should be able to choose who I live it with...and whatever it is I do with it."

Otos eyes faded in tears, feeling his heart break with his brothers words. But a reassuring squeeze on his hands made him look up at him again and was surprised to see his brothers eyes and a soft smile.

"But...you're right. We've been estranged for too long. These last few months...they've opened my eyes. I can't do certain things alone. There were days, weeks, where all I wanted to do was die, so the people I love would never have to be harmed. But Seiji reminded me of the reasons to live. Him...you...our parents...my job...my life...the life I worked so hard to achieve. I understand now. I understand everything now...and I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault. The things that happened in my life were the results of my own actions...I thought I didn't need anyone's help...I see that I was wrong."

The older man finally straightened up and sat on the bed, his hands taking Sonos bandaged one, his other hand cupping his cheek. He could see small tears in his eyes and his smile didn't fade.

"You have no idea how happy I am you're here, nii-san...you hired those men to find Takeo...it's like you knew he was looking for me...I had always thought you and our family had given up on someone like me, because of what Takeo did to me."

"How could you say that. We never once thought of giving up on you. Do you realize that after I started funding those detectives, father called and demanded to know where you were so he could send protection for you too? Do you know how many talks I had with our mom, listening to her cry about how she was having dreams of hearing about her sons death by some fucking madman? You might think we stopped caring, but the truth is, we never stopped caring for you. Whatever decisions you've made, that's all you. But we still love you. For gods sakes, I had to hear it from your boyfriend that you were in the hospital because Takeo had gotten to you before the police did! I was petrified...I thought I had lost my baby brother to some freak of nature...I couldn't bare that...I love you so much. You're my brother, the only person aside from my wife and son that I'd die for, put my life on the line for you...damnit...just let me be part of your life again, Sono. That's all I want. We used to be so close. I want that closeness again. Don't push me away again."

The younger blond said nothing, lowering his head and staring at their hands. His heart felt heavy at his brothers words and he knew them to be true. He internally thanked Seiji for calling Oto here...this was what he needed. The past came back to hurt him and now that same past was coming to make amends.

He looked back up to his brother and nodded, earning a shushed gasp from the man.

"I'd like that too...Nii-san. I'd like that a lot..."

Oto was elated. More than elated. The joy he was feeling was unreal. Feeling his own heart speed in response, he moved so quickly that neither man saw it coming.

Oto had reached behind his brothers head, pulling him closer and pressing his lips against the others, kissing him with such happiness that Sono felt it travel through his skin.

But feeling his brother kissing him made his eyes widen in shock, a pink flush flowing over his cheeks.

The kiss was short, but powerful, and Oto pulled away, staring at him and smiled an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry...I didn't know what else to do..."

"A hug would've been fine..."

The two chuckled, both faces slightly pink with surprise. And Oto was aware of another pressance in the room and the two men looked over, their blushes darkening, though not as dark as Seijis.

His tanned face was bright red at seeing them kiss, knowing what Sono had mentioned how...close...they had been growing up. He wasn't angry, just slightly unsure of how to approach the situation. So when the men looked at him, he jumped and averted his eyes, his blush expanding to his ears.

Sono smiled at him and said,

"I'm sorry, Seiji-kun. This day was been...exhausting."

The younger man gave a soft chuckle before saying,

"You don't have to tell me that. I understand...heh...it has been a long day. It's been a long few months. Emotions are kinda high."

Sono smiled brightly up at his lover. He was such a lucky person to have Seiji in his life, especially now that this mess was over.

Pulled from his thoughts by a hug from his brother, a kiss to his cheek and the younger blond suddenly felt dizzy with happiness.

His love went the extra mile to contact his family...his brother went the extra mile to fund the Tokyo police to protect him...

Oto felt his brother trembling and noticed that he was crying, covering his face with his hands and pressed a kiss to his head, mumbling to him that things were going to be alright again...that everything was as it should be. In turn, this made Sono sob harder into his hands and felt the left side of his body being embraced. Snapping his head up, he saw Seiji smiling at him, his hand gently caressing his injured hip and a kiss to his neck.

Such love...from his brother and his soulmate...Sono felt his heart explode with such happiness and he choked on his own breath while he cried, a smile gracing his features.

He was truly lucky to be alive.


	12. Chapter 12

There was a soft rain covering the city and Sono couldn't help but stare out the window of his apartment, not really focusing on his work.

It had been 2 weeks since he was released from the hospital and 5 days since he settled back into his apartment. Seiji was highly against Sono leaving his home, but the blond decided it was best. He needed his space after all that had happened.

Oto had went back to Tokyo a week prior and Sono was feeling the effects of his brother leaving. He cried when they dropped him off at the airport and Oto made him promise to keep in contact. He cried when Seiji drove them home and he cried the remainder of the day. The younger man was greatly attentive and supportive throughtout, leaving the blond when he needed to be alone and comforting him when Sono needed physical support.

But it was time to move on. He couldn't cry anymore. He needed to get on with his life...

...but it was hard. So much had happened and he found it hard to get back into the swing of things. His work was suffering for it, as it had for months, but he tried to focus. He had been emotionally out of his work for so long and it was time to buckle down.

His eyes shifted to his phone, waiting for a phone call from either Seiji or Oto, feeling the urge to talk to them both. He smiled. It was such a nice feeling to actually WANT to talk to his older brother again after 15 long years.

Maybe he could call his mother next, or even his father. That would be a surprise. It was like he was young again.

Sighing to himself, he stood up and walked over to his kitchen to grab something drink. Clearly, there was no work getting done tonight.

Getting one of the flavored waters from his fridge, he took a huge drink and he leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling and huffed. He was bored, worse than bored.

And it wasn't until he heard his phone ring that he found himself bolting to his phone, nearly tripping over his couch and opened it, seeing it was an email...from Yakura.

It was an email that read,

 _'Hanasaki-kun, I hope that things have finally normalized for you since the trauma you've endured. I'm happy to hear that you're getting back into your work (Oishi is especially excited) and I'm pleased to inform you that Mizuno Takeo will be transported to a high security facility in America in the next few days. With any luck, he may receive the death penalty. Your brother thought you'd like to know this. I hope you are well and it was a pleasure meeting you, regardless of circumstances.'_

The excitment in Sonos heart dropped at this message. It wasn't so much the message itself...there was one thing that locked in his line of vision.

Death...penilty...Takeo was going to die...

His hands started trembling, his phone nearly dropping to the floor.

Not saying anything, Sono walked to his couch and sat down, his hands in his hair, eyes wide with shock...why was he shocked?

Takeo...the man who ruined his love life...the man who hurt him in ways no one should be hurt...the man who nearly destroyed his relationship with his family...was going to die. He should be happy with this knowledge.

He should be more than happy that Takeo was finally getting the punishment he deserved, even if death was too good for him.

However, as he thought through the ideals of Takeo's death being such a blessing, he found his mind unwillingly being pushed back to his days in grade school, being approached by the young boy and gaining a new friend, his first friend.

The days were they were attatched at the hip throughout middle school and the beginning of high school...it flooded him and he couldn't stop it. Memories of the sweet nothings that Takeo would whisper to him after sneaking into his room at night, snuggling with him and telling him how much the blond meant to him...

Sono knew better. He knew those days were over and everything had changed when Naoki came into their lives...and abruptly left them almost as fast. Takeo had done horrible things, killed so many people and tortured the blond for most of his life without even having to be there. He was finally being punished for his wrong doings and for reasons he could not understand, Sono couldn't face that reality.

The sudden realization that Sono was on the midst of another panic attack had scared him a little. He felt his heart start pounding rapidly, reminding himself of the doctors orders to try not to deal with stressful situations, lest he run the risk of an early heart attack. And given the state he was in now, he was about to head down that road unless he calmed down fast.

Struggling to stand, he walked to grab his phone, opened it and dialed Seiji's number, gripping the chair so he found balance. When all he got was the voicemail, he groaned and sent a simple message.

 _We need to talk. Come by before I do something stupid._

With that, he sat on his couch, resting his hands in his hair, taking in deep breaths and rubbing his chest gently, almost willing himself to settle down. His heart was still pounding and it hurt him to breath.

After 30 minutes of doing nothing but breathing heavily, there was a series of knocks at his door, shocking him a little. His legs felt like jelly as he walked to his front door and unlocked it, moving to the side to let his frantic lover in. Seiji was pacing inside to his living room, turning around to see Sono shutting the door, noticing how he was slouching and his mind kicked into panic mode, assuming the worst.

When the blond faced him, Seiji gently took his shoulders and looked him over a few moments. Sono's eyes were glassy, the brown orbs looking like a light hazel. Not to mention he was trembling.

"Sono, what is it? Your message scared the hell out of me. What happened? Did you hurt yourself? I knew your leg wasn't healed yet. Wait, was it your arm-"

"Seiji-kun...calm down..."

The younger man stopped talking, loosening his grip on the blonds upper arms and looked at his love, seeing how Sono was not even making an effort to look at him. He had a small flush on his pale cheeks and he was twiddling his fingers into his shirt, while at the same time, not putting a lot of pressure on his leg.

The worse thoughts crossing Seiji's mind changed to horrific ideals in a heartbeat. His left hand gently cupped his lovers face, making him look up at him, knowing how Sono averted his eyes, and asked,

"You wouldn't have sounded the way you did over the phone if it wasn't serious. Don't push me away again. Talk to me."

Sono scoffed to himself and looked up at his lover, softening his glare as he saw Seijis eyes looking at him with such a stern concern. He sighed, reaching up to touch his lovers soft hand, kissing his palm for a moment before removing it from his face softly, taking to holding it against his chest for a moment and said,

"I'm sure you've gotten the email from Yakura...about Takeo."

The statement confused Seiji, that was a given.

"Email?"

Seiji pulled his hand away from his lovers form, reluctant as he was, and pulled out his cell phone, looking through his emails, tilting his head and his eyes widened. Looking over at Sono then back at his phone, he said,

"Huh...well good. He gets what deserves. But the death penality in America is too good for him, I feel...at least he's gone. And he'll never come near you ever again. Aren't you happy about that, S-"

Seiji had stopped talking in an instant, taking in the sight before him. In another world or in another situation, he would have been greatly insulted and angry with what he was looking at, but he knew better than to jump straight to anger...not after all this. He understood in seconds why the love of his life, in front of him right now, was near tears and gripping his waist, trembling like a leaf.

Closing the gap and holding the man to his chest, kissing his head, he whispered,

"Oh Sono, I'm so sorry...I sometimes forget what these last few years have done to you regarding...Takeo...but I get it. He's a huge part of your life and even knowing that in just a few days or so...it'll be over...I understand it's hard. I may not fully comprehend what you're going through, but I understand how difficult it is to let go...especially after 15 years. But at least you'll get some kind of closure out of this..."

Closure...that was the word Sono had played around with in his head all day. It contributed to his desire to truly makes things end properly for himself and for Takeo...but he didn't know how to approach it. With Seijis comforting words of understanding, maybe it would benefit well for him afterall.

Sono sighed in his lovers chest, clenching his fists into his shirt and weighed the options of his question, his request... this was something that he felt he needed to do. And he hoped Seiji's understanding of his situation would better this upcoming...awkward conversation.

Pushing away from the man for a moment, he was halted when Seiji leaned in and kissed his cheek, feeling the loving support from the mans form. He blushed, but took a deep breath in and said,

"Seiji...um...I have a...request. And you need to promise me you won't be angry with me."

"Well, when you put it that way, you make me super nervous. Just tell me what it is, Sono. What do you need?"

The blond started fidgeting in the mans arms...there was no going back now. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Sono let out a loud exhale and said,

"I want...no...I need to see Takeo before he leaves Japan."

The air around the two suddenly shifted and Sono felt Seijis grip on his upper arms tighten greatly. It hurt, but the blond said nothing as he cringed a little bit, biting his lip. He felt Seijis dangerous aura cloaking his body and he heard the angry response he had expected.

"Why in hell do you want to see him?! After what he did to you...all the shit he put you through, you should be demanding his head on a platter! You're recovering now...why do you feel like you need to see Takeo...no...no I can't allow that. I'd rather him burn alive than put you right back into his-"

"Watch your mouth!"

Sono had backed away from his lover and winced as he put pressure on his wounded leg. His brown eyes blazed a bright red, making Seiji fall back a little bit.

The blond shuddered at the rage in his blood, gripping his desk.

"I don't care what he did to me...I've never once put a thought about my life regarding him and what he does to it...for gods sake, Seiji, look at me! What more could he possibly do to me! Yes he hurt me...he hurt me in ways I wouldn't even wish on him...but regardless of that...he was my first friend...and my first love...and he is the reason I am who I am today...him and Naoki...I need to see him...I need to know why things happened the way they happened. I need this closure, Seiji...please...you said that you understood..."

The blond stopped talking and moved to lean against his desk, he took deep breaths, feeling his lungs expand. And he felt Seiji touch his shoulder, immediantly pushing it away, needing to get this out. He felt furious. He felt tired. But he needed to breath...

Seiji, on the other hand, felt his skin crawl at the tone of Sonos voice. And he knew it to be true. But somewhere in his mind was telling him this was the right thing to do.

Standing back up, he walked over to the man and said,

"You're right, love. You're right. You need closure and answers and the only person you're going to get them from is Takeo. I'm worried is all. These last several months have been a living hell...and I just don't want to go through the thought of losing you again...look, if you need to do this, I'll give you as much support as I can...just don't do anything careless."

Sono smiled and turned his head to look up at his love, his reason to live and was happy to see Seiji smiling back at him, leaning down to kiss him.

It was a simple kiss, but the blond felt every bit of love and passion into it. The younger mans hand trailed through his hair, massaging his scalp, feeling his silky locks flow through his fingers.

Sono moaned as Seijis hand tickled the back of his head, but when the younger broke the kiss, he let out an exhale and said,

"If you're really doing this, do it tomorrow. The less time we spend thinking about this, the better. Is that alright?"

The blond nodded and heard Seiji mention something about calling Yakura later. But Sono didn't care about that right now. Looking deep into his lovers eyes and said,

"That sounds perfect. But only on one condition."

Sejii smiled at him softly, rubbing his lovers arm and asked,

"What's that?"

Sono smiled and lifted his arms, wrapping them behind Seijis head, catching a glimpse of his wounded arm.

There was no huge scar, at least not that he noticed made a word. Seiji had mentioned Takeo had carved something into his skin, but he wouldn't say what it was. It healed a little while ago, but Sono still shuddered at the sight of it.

Pushing his thoughts away, he looked up into his loves eyes and said,

"I want you to hold me. Tell me you love me. Give me everything we've missed out on these last 4 months. I want you...to just touch me."

Seiji felt his heart burst at the words pouring from the blonds mouth. And the look he was giving him. It was a look of a desprate person...just wanting nothing more than affection. Like he was starved from it after so long...

Closing his eyes and pressing the man to his chest, he whispered,

"God...I love you so much..."

The blond let out a small, choked sob and leaned his head up, kissing Seijis neck.

"Again...say it again..."

"I love you, Sono."

"Again...don't stop saying it. I need to hear it. Remind me."

"If you need a constant reminder, than I'll be more than happy to reassure you. Shall we go to bed?"

"No!"

With such strength, Sono pushed Seiji to the floor, removing his own shirt and nearly tore off Seijis black jacket, removing the shirt underneath. Not waiting a second, he pressed their bare chests together and nuzzled under the mans jaw, kissing his skin.

This was a new form of affection Seiji hadn't dealt with before and when he tried to kiss the blonds forehead, Sono moved quickly, sitting up suddenly and stared down at him, eyes wild with sudden emotion and said,

"Please...just hold me. I don't care about sex...I don't care about any of that right now. I need you to just hold me. I feel...empty...like if you left, I'd go mad and panic...Please just hold onto me and for the love of god, don't let go."

Seiji didn't need any further convincing. He wrapped his arms around the blond and pulled him to the floor, feeling thin arms wrap tight around his form. He could feel such violent shaking in his arms, his chest heaving.

The younger man closed his eyes, his hand woven in his hair, whispering sweet nothings into his lovers golden locks.

"I love you, Sono. I've always loved you. I promised I'd be here for you every minute of every day should you need me...thank you. Thank you for finally letting me understand you. Thank you for allowing me to help you. You'll never have to deal with being alone...not again."

The blond smiled in his lovers chest, nodding and let out a sobbing laugh, lifting his head and pressing a hard kiss to his lips, his tongue diving into his mouth. Seiji was more than thrilled and more than willing to kiss his love back.

Their nightmare was only halfway over. All that's left was for Sono to finally get his closure and to move on. Seiji could only hope this would work the way he hoped.

* * *

The next afternoon, the two men were standing at the station, hands locked together. Seiji was still unsure about this situation, eyes shifting a few times to make sure people weren't staring at them weird. Of course, no one was, but he was slightly scared. There was no talking the blond out of this.

Sono, meanwhile, was staring at the building, knowing that Yakura would be waiting for them, waiting to talk Sono out of this suicide wish he had. But he was firm, standing strong with what he wanted to do and why.

Looking up at his lover, he saw that Seiji was obviously nervous. And he smiled softly.

"Seiji-kun, it's fine...I'll be fine."

"Yeah yeah, forgive me for having doubts. But you going in to see Takeo alone makes me really skeptical. Are you sure you don't want me going in there with you?"

Sono took a deep breath, nodding.

"I'm sure...this is my problem, Seiji. My issues. Trust in me, because I'm 99.9 percent sure I know what I'm doing."

"And that 0.1?"

The blond said nothing, shivering; that told Seiji that even he didn't know where that last little bit was. He gulped, gripping Sonos hand tightly. He had been hoping Sono knew where his last shred of doubt was, but he also knew better.

The blond knew this had to be done.

Taking in a deep breath, the two walked up the station steps, Sono letting go of Seijis hand to open the door. Not 5 seconds had they walked in, they were bombarded by Oishi, who had a glimmer of light in his eyes.

"Hanasaki-san! Oh...I'm so happy you're alright! When Yakura-sama told me what happened, and I read all the reports, I was so worried. But you pushed through it! You survived Takeo of all people! How? How did you do it, if you don't mind me asking?!"

Sono smiled at the young man; bless him for being such an energetic soul.

Just before he had a chance to answer, Yakura stepped up and hit Oishi in the head with a notebook, promptly telling him,

"Enough of your gushing, Oishi. This isn't the time for that."

"Aww but I was curious! It's not a crime to ask."

"It is unprofessional and we still have work to do. Besides, I'm sure the last thing Sono here wants to talk about is that dreadful experience. I can't even imagine why the hell you'd want to see him now anyways. Have you lost your damn mind? Inside that room is a man who tried to kill you! And you want to see him before America takes him? Where is the sense in that?"

Seiji internally thanked Yakura for asking these questions. They were the very same thoughts he had before they left their home and had no way of asking them without sounding standoffish.

But Sono simply smiled, rubbing where his wounded arm was and said,

"I can't answer that myself, Yakura-san. I'm well aware he tried to kill me...many times...and...maybe that's why I'm here. To find out why. Takeo was never always this way...he used to be so sweet and so gentle with me...and with Naoki. The change seemed to come out of no where and only escalated when Naoki and I...fell in love...I need to see him. I need to know what happened...and I need to see how I can help him."

"Help? There's no help for someone like him."

"I know."

Sono turned to look at Seiji, who stood there with a wide eyed look of patience and it made him smile again. Turning back to the two detectives, he said,

"But I'm willing to guess Takeo won't talk to anyone but me anyway. The Takeo I remember is still in there...I just want to talk to him...one last time..."

With that, Sono walked past them, sneaking the key out of Oishis hand, much to his shock and Yakuras angry calls for him. The blond didn't listen as he walked down the hall and was stopped by the pounding in his heart, a feeling that only come from years of repression. It was like he knew...it was like Takeo knew he was coming.

"Oi! Don't just run off like that without an escort!"

Yakura ran up behind him, resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Once he was calmer, he snatched the key from the mans hands and scoffed.

"Jesus...rushing off to meet with a madman. You must be insane...c'mon. He's kept down here."

Yakura guided him down the hall and to a white door, barred and locked. Yakura sighed and unlocked the door, as silently as he could so as not to allow Takeo the chance to escape. Once it was unlocked, Yakura turned to the blond and said,

"You're sure you want to do this?"

Sono nodded, never being as sure about anything such as this before. With a heavy sigh, Yakura nodded back,

"We'll be right here should you need us...Seiji included."

He opened the door a touch and Sono took in a deep breath, walked inside and heard the door close behind him. The sight before him was enough to make his eyes widen, then squint at the brightness of the room.

It was rather small room, almost like one would find in mental clinics. It had a small white bed, a small dresser and an area for a toilet and sink. In the center of the room, sat Takeo, dressed in white pants and a straight jacket, binding his arms together. His head perked up at the sound of the door opening and chuckled.

"Is it dinner time again? Well, don't expect me to feed myself unless it's some of that yummy pie like last night...well? What's the hold up?"

Takeo shifted around as best his legs could and turned to face his visitor, blue eyes widening instantly at the sight of his blond victim standing there, a look of pity on his face.

"You...what are you doing here?"

Sono opened his mouth, but found it to be tongue tied. He had tried to plan for this conversation, had everything he wanted to say rehearsed in his head.

He recalled the night before, being unable to sleep, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, repeating question after question, line after line, to himself, in hopes he wouldn't crack under Takeos gaze when he finally met him.

But now, all those faded away and he found he couldn't speak. His mouth opened, no sounds came out.

Takeo looked the man up and down, taking in his clothing.

A black jacket with blue pants and black shoes...it was the same sorts of clothing he wore the day after Naokis funeral. Where that memory served a purpose, he had no idea. It was just a small hint of nostalgia.

Glaring up at him, he said,

"Come to gloat? All week, the guards have been teasing me about your surviving...how I lost a notch on my belt because I didn't kill you when I should have...I'm sure you've heard that I'm going to America pretty soon...and I'm sure you just want one more punch to my face...is that it?"

Sono, once again, said nothing, and Takeo smirked, getting to his bare feet and walked towards him, making the blond back up against the door, debating if he should leave now or stick it out.

"Your silence is slightly unnerving, babe. If you're not here to gloat and you're not here to hit me...why are you here?"

The blond looked up into his eyes, finally opening his mouth again and finally finding his voice,

"I wanted...to talk to you. I needed to see you before you left...ask questions."

Takeo was startled; he wasn't expecting that at all.

Scoffing, he backed away from the blond and said,

"What what kind of answers were you expecting to hear? You know everything already. I was the reason Naoki was killed. I was the reason your life took a nose dive into hell...I'm the reason you've nearly died. I nearly took everything from you and you already know it. So what more do you want from me?"

Takeo walked away and stood in front of the small window he had, looking up at the sky. He barley registered Sonos footsteps behind him, but he heard,

"You're right...I do know all of that. I know of all the chaos you've caused. But what I don't know is why..."

Once again, Takeos head perked at that, blue orbs wide and he turned to face him, not realizing how close he was to him. The look in his eyes said it all and Takeo could see a small spark of hope and of light. The same spark he would see when they kissed.

Glaring daggers, Takeo spat out,

"Why should I tell you?"

"You owe me."

"I owe you shit! Do you really think I'd tell you anything about that!...fuck I should've killed you. I should have killed you when I had the chance. Then things wouldn't be so...messed up. My plan was perfect."

"What plan? The plan to kill me and then yourself? What would that have solved?! There was no guarantee that if we died, Naoki would be waiting for us!"

"I was willing to take that chance! I was willing to go to heaven or hell so the three of us could be together again!"

"But why? You always said you hated Naoki for taking me away. And then wanting to kill me...I don't understand, Takeo...why did you want to risk that?!"

"Because goddamn it, I still love you!"

A dark pause filled the air and Sono found it hard to breath. He took a step back from Takeo, his eyes filling with confusion. Takeo, on the other hand, huffed heavily and said,

"Is that what you wanted to hear? Well there it is. Now you know..."

He turned his head to look out the window again, anger pulsing through his veins, though strangely, not at Sono.

Said blond looked at him for a moment, trying to find his words, eventually speaking in a trembling voice.

"You...still love me?"

Takeo lowered his head a bit, leaning it against the wall, closing his eyes and chuckled, but Sono heard a tremble in that laugh.

"I never stopped. After you broke up with me, I thought I was able to deal with it. When the girls heard I was single, they jumped all over me and I slept with many of them...but I didn't feel any happier. I left school to try and figure out why I was letting this get to me...I wanted to see you, see if we could work something out...but I saw him...in your bed...kissing you like you were his new bride or some shit. I was furious...I couldn't handle that more than anything...my best friend betrayed me...stole my love from me...and was planning to run away with you...that hurt the most."

Takeo stopped talking for a moment to breath, giving Sono a moment to collect himself, but not enough time as the man kept talking,

"The murders...that were happening around that time...they weren't me...but...after seeing you two together...the blood lust...it became too much and I started torturing people around the city...people you wouldn't think twice about after killing them...as the year went on, I got impatient and started killing more known people...but the biggest prize was Naoki himself...I hired those men to hurt you...I made sure Naokis practice went on a little longer so he couldn't be there to save you...but I didn't think about the actual feelings he had as he got in my way. He didn't die of a bullet injury like everyone had said...I killed him. I snuck into his hospital room that night and...I injected poison into his I.V...I watched him glare at me as he was dying...he swore that he'd kill me if I hurt you...his eyes...oh god his eyes...there were blazing even after he died...I knew then that I made a horrible mistake...but I was in too deep. I ran away...Only to come back for his funeral and see you there and I thought...this was my chance...but the things I had done...they consumed me and I found myself dreaming of killing you too...after I fled from Fukushima after graduation, it took me a long time to regain my head and...well, you know the rest. I became the biggest serial killer in Japan...but what sticks out in my head is that even after all that...after all I had done...after you had done...I still loved you. And I couldn't shake that. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn't rid my feelings for you...or for Naoki..."

Finally Takeo stopped talking and gave a shuddering breath as he rested his head against the wall in front of him. His heart was throbbing with that confession, a confession he thought would never reach his lips.

Sono, however, was processing this information in his head, hearing how Takeo let it all out in one swing...the break in his voice when he talked about Naokis death...the trembling in his body as he spoke of his internal tortures...

All because he was still in love with him...after 15 years of fear and of hate...

Takeo still loved him.

Sono felt tears flow from his eyes and was startled at first to feel them, bringing his hand up to touch them, look at the specks on his fingertips and he shuddered, looking back at Takeo, who hadn't moved or said anything since.

With courage he didn't know he had, he walked up towards the man, stopping when he felt he got too close and said, with a tremble in his voice,

"He wasn't my first love, you know."

Confused, Takeo turned his head and said,

"What?"

"Naoki...he wasn't my first love. He was the first in a lot of things in my life, but never my first love...that was you...it was always you..."

Takeo found he couldn't tear his eyes away from Sono as he stood again, pressed against the wall, blue orbs tired but determined. The blonds own eyes averted from him for a second, sighing and said,

"Had you not spoke to me that day when we were kids...I wouldn't be standing here today. I would have either gotten myself killed or killed myself out of sheer loneliness...you were my first friend, Takeo, the first person I could relate to outside my home. We grew up together, we shared our first kiss together...I wanted everything with you...only you...even after Naoki came into our lives, you were still the only person I loved...and then you changed...and I began having second thoughts...Naoki was there to help me pick up the pieces when you and I broke up..."

"But why him? Of everyone in the world...why Naoki? He had Ami, didn't he? Why did he suddenly have to have you?"

"I...don't know. There was a warmth in him I couldn't feel in you. I can't explain it...he...found that he couldn't have us both and left Ami for me...I was guilty for that...I still am sometimes...even more so when he died and somehow, that brought Ami and me closer...but that doesn't change the fact that you were always my first, Takeo...I loved you then..."

A glimmer of hope rose into Takeos eyes and Sono suddenly cursed himself for saying that. While it was true and this is why he was here, he found that Takeo was more sick then he had initially thought possible. Especially after carrying this obsession for so long.

Takeo got so close to him that Sono felt scared, but pushed it down.

"And now? Do you still love me now?"

Hope was what drove Takeo to this question and he felt sickened by it. But he had to know. He had his own questions and this was one of the biggest.

Sono felt his throat go dry; suddenly, he didn't know what to say anymore. Here was Takeo, a madman, a murderer, the very reason he had suffered through anxiety and complications with love and intimacy...

The man he was in love with once...many years ago.

Reaching up to touch his pale face, his thumb tracing under his blue eyes, Sono said in such hushed tones,

"The love I had for you...faded so long ago. The love I felt for Naoki is gone...I have a love now that holds me together, keeps me strong and alive when I feel weak and alone...love is supposed to be a feeling of absolute, a feeling of passion and of never fearing being alone ever again...that's what I have now...that's what I had with Naoki...and for a moment, it's what I had with you...there is a small part of me that wants to keep loving you, Takeo, but I can't. I'd be lying to myself and I can't do that anymore than I already had done before...but...I still care for you, as the person you were before this...before the blood shed...before the hate..."

His hand found its way up to Takeos black hair, combing it back and Takeo found he wanted to take that hand and kiss it, gripping it and never letting go.

Completely harnessed, he sighed and turned his head into Sonos palm, feeling his heat, the feelings of rage gone from his system for a time.

"Why are you doing this? I hurt you in ways no one should ever know...I killed our best friend...I nearly killed you...so why the sudden affectious touch?"

"Because deep down, the Takeo I know is still there. Buried deep down inside...you might think you've killed him off, but I still see him in your eyes..."

Takeo looked at him, seeing those brown eyes glow and he felt a stray tear leave his eye, feeling Sono swipe it away with his thumb, almost astounded to see it.

The man could take no more of this as he whispered,

"I want to hold you...I want to touch you..."

Even knowing better didn't stop Sono from such a request. Removing his hand and trailed down to undo the straight jacket (struggling from time to time), eventually getting it off and seeing Takeo in a white tank top underneath, stretching his arms a bit.

Sono chuckled to himself before cautiously putting himself against his chest, feeling his arms wrap around him tightly, pale hands digging into his yellow hair.

The blond teased,

"White was never your color...you looked better in black..."

"Heh...you and Naoki were the ones to pull off color..."

Sono smiled and shut his eyes against the mans chest, feeling absolutely satisfied with how this was going. True, he wasn't expecting to hug the madman, but it felt nice...familiar...warm.

Takeo inhaled the scent of the blonds hair, eyes rolling back into his head as he sighed, kissing the top of his head. He had almost...ALMOST...forgotten why he wanted to kill the blond in the first place.

But this...it was like the ray of hope he had been looking for. He wanted more...needed more.

"Sono...kiss me."

"Huh?"

"Kiss me...just kiss me."

Takeo didn't wait for a response as he pushed the blond up against the wall, giving him a heated kiss, nearly forcing his tongue into his mouth, both hands holding onto his face.

Sono, while put off by the force, kissed back hesitantly, pressing his hands against the mans chest, ready to push back if things got crazy.

But he couldn't deny...this kiss...felt amazing. It was like years of beautiful memories flooded his brain, reminding him of the times Takeo was truly there for him.

The need to breath was strong and Sono pushed him away, taking in deep breaths of air as Takeo stared at him...like a hungry wolf.

He didn't see a 32 year old blond man standing before him now...he saw the 16 year old blond boy he fell for, staring at him with those wide eyes, face flushed from their heated kiss and he held back a small sob, pressing his face in Sonos neck, kissing his throat.

"Run away with me, Sono. There's still hope for me...I can escape prison and we'll find a place where no one knows our names...I love you...I've always loved you...we can...I don't know...we can go to Europe. No one knows me there..like France..we can live in Paris, France...You can still be an illustrator and I'll...find some union job or heavy labor or something. We can be together like we used to. I'll spoil you everyday and every night, love like I've always wanted to...just don't leave me alone again...I promise I'll be better, Sono, just don't leave me again...don't let some other guy take you away from me again...I can't bare that a second time..."

He spoke while pressing hot kisses to the mans neck, trying to seduce him into saying yes. And for a while, Sono almost was losing his mind. Takeos words were so romantic in his own way and so beautiful, the promises he wanted to keep...Sono found himself imagining it being a reality.

Had it not been for the glimpse of his ring in the white light did he not find his composure, eyes wide and pushing Takeo away, earning a confused stare.

"I can't...Takeo I can't."

"Why?"

"Don't make this harder for me. I told you...I already have a love in my life and he makes me happy. I can't leave him...it would break my heart to do so...I'm sorry..."

Takeo started to panic. He wasn't about to lose the blond again...not to anyone. He gripped his black hair, almost trembling in either confusion or rage; he couldn't quite tell.

Sono sighed, feeling disgusted for allowing himself to be nearly seduced by Takeo again and said,

"I've done us both harm by coming here. I'm sorry. I have to go..."

He walked past the man, hoping to get to the door and leave quickly, not willing to try to put the jacket back on him. But was he got to the door, he was stopped when Takeo slammed him against it, pulling his arm back and twisted it with one hand and locked the other against the frame.

The sudden pain made him gasp and turned his head, looking into Takeos glaring eyes.

"So that's it, then. You come in here, saying all these things and fucking with my head, only to just up and leave, like it's nothing? I poured my heart out to you, you whore. I told you things I wouldn't tell anyone else. And you think you can just leave? No...No I will not allow it."

He twisted harder, making the blond gasp and whimper. Takeo chuckled and threw the man down onto the hard floor, hearing a pained cry. As he tried to move onto his back and crawl away, Takeo advanced on him, blue eyes darkening.

"I might not have my tools, but I can still kill you. How dare you play with my emotions, you two-bit skank!"

In a second, Takeo was on the blonds stomach, both hands gripping his throat, strangling him violently. The blond tried to let out a scream, but it was blocked by hands crushing his windpipe. His legs thrashed under the larger man, tears pouring down his cheeks and he let out a chocked sob, clawing at Takeos hands.

The man said nothing, but tightening the grip onto his neck, feeling the man become weak from lack of oxygen, his legs slowing a bit. But the moment a stray hand came up and touched his face, it shocked him back into reality.

Shocked wasn't even the right word; scared was more accurate. The blond had tears streaming down his face, a pleading look in his eyes and the memory of nearly killing him on graduation night hit Takeo so hard, he let out a loud gasp of pain, as if he were the one who had been abused.

He released the mans throat, hearing him take loud, inhales of breath, staring at him in shock. His blue eyes widened, staring at his own hands.

"Oh my god..."

There was no time to collect on this; the door had burst open and a loud,

"On the ground, Mizuno!"

made Takeo freeze and slowly put his hands in the air, crawling off the blonds body. Yakura had heard Sonos choked cry and quickly assumed the worst, calling in two guards for back up.

Yakura had ran in and pulled the blond to his feet, ushering him out the door where Seiji had been waiting for him with Oishi and the other officers. When Yakura mentioned that Sono had let out a cry of distress, Seijis heart dropped into his stomach. But when the officer pulled him out of harms way and into his arms, Seiji let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

He touched the blonds face, seeing if there were any marks or bruises. When he saw none, save for some very light marks on his neck, he cupped his pale cheeks in his hands, asking in a panicked yet calm tone,

"Are you alright? What happened? Yakura said he heard you scream."

The blond nodded meekly, earning a loud sigh from the man and a tight hug, his hair being untangled by Seiji's hand. All of this happened so quickly, he almost couldn't believe it. His brown eyes looked over to inside the room, wincing as the guards smashed Takeo to the floor, one of them holding onto a taser.

Yakura was giving commands, turning to the two men and snapped off,

"Why the hell is he out of his jacket?! Damnit Hanasaki, do you really have a suicide wish?!"

Sono barely heard him. He couldn't process a single thought as he watched the two guards struggle to get Takeo back in his jacket. He thrashed, he screamed and he twisted to look at the blond man, eyes blazing at the sight of the other man holding him.

He stopped struggling for a moment, just a moment, as he broke free from the guards and launched himself at the two, only to be brought down by the larger guards hand on his pant leg, yanking him backwards and back onto the floor with a furious scream.

While Seiji jumped a little and pressed the blond nearly behind him to shield from the insane man, it wasn't so much the near attack that confused him. It was what Takeo had screamed at him as the guards held him down.

"Damn you, Naoki! Damn you! You always have the last say, don't you you bastard! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! He's mine, you hear me?! He's MINE!"

Takeo let out a scream as one of the guards tazed him to keep him down as Yakura closed the door, escorting the two out of the station. Yakura had then apologized for the situation, to which Seiji said that it was probably expected, though he was more concerned that Sono hadn't said a word.

Giving their goodbyes, the two men walked down the road in silence, avoiding small talk and anyone who tried to say hello.

Sonos mind was blank, nothing but the sounds of Takeos angry screams filling his brain. He had been the cause of it. He played with Takeo by telling him the truth and he felt worse than before.

But when Seiji pulled him closer, kissing his head, he found there was no more reason to be scared. He got what he wanted.

He got his answers, he had gotten his closure. But at the cost of the last shred of hope in Takeos soul gone. Maybe it was for the best. Perhaps there really wasn't any hope for him anymore. Sono would have to learn to accept that.

After moments in silence, they made it back to Seijis apartment, removing their shoes and jackets before Sono walked into the living room, wanting to collapse onto the couch and take a long needed nap.

He was stopped halfway when Seiji asked him a simple question, and yet...it wasn't simple. It was a question Sono had no answer to and yet he felt like he should.

"Sono-san...why did he call me Naoki?"

The blond turned to look at him, expecting to see a small vision of his dead friend standing there, a definitive answer to his unspoken questions.

But he saw Seiji there, in all his self and Sono smiled a gracious smile, no longer feeling the urge to cry in pain and in sadness.

He walked over to him, stood on his toes and kissed him gently, a quick but soft kiss before breaking apart, nearly chuckling at Seijis confused look.

Sono didn't say much as he pressed his head against his lovers chest, sighing happily to himself that it was finally over.

He never had to live in fear ever again...and there was only one way to answer Seijis question.

"I don't want to talk about it..."

And Seiji never had the thought of bringing it up again.


	13. Chapter 13

I am apologizing here and now; if this chapter comes off as either rushed or dragged, I am so sorry. I could not, for the life of me, find a decent direction for which way this could go, but personally, I like where it ended up. I like how I ended this reboot story. And I hope you do too! I'm really hoping to get back into writing like this again, so hopefully this works out.

Enjoy!

* * *

Epilogue.

The year had passed by so quickly.

Seiji would find himself randomly looking back on everything that happened and sometimes found himself laughing at certain moments here and there, not because they were funny...but just that they survived through it all.

There was never a day that went by that he didn't look at his love and feel absolute pride and happiness. Sono had gone through so much and had came out a stronger person, albeit some moments of breakage here and there. He no longer had a reason to be afraid and was happier than he had seen him in so long.

And this change couldn't have come at a better moment;

December had reached Japan and with it came it's beautiful coverage of white snow. Combined with Osaka's decorative Christmas lights all over the city and Seiji would challenge anyone in saying that Christmas was by far the most beautiful time of the year.

The snow fell peacefully over the city, making everything as calm as the snow itself.

Seiji didn't care about that.

All he cared about was the naked blond in his lap, kissing him with such passion and love that it made his head spin. It was dark in their room, having no need for lights for such a peaceful moment.

Their passionate sex had left them both feeling winded, but joyful. It was the most energy Seiji had felt inside his beloved in ages.

Reaching behind Sonos head to run his fingers through those long, golden locks, pausing to grip the back of his neck and smile through their locked lips.

He felt the blond chuckle and move back a bit to kiss his nose, all while Seiji chuckled back at him, whispering,

"Think you can go another round?"

"You tell me. You're the one still inside me."

The two men laughed at that, but both knew much of their needed energy was long gone at this point. Seiji was already softening and slipped out of his loves wet body, feeling him shudder in his lap. With some moving around, Seiji had his love pressed back against the mattress, kissing his cheek and moving some of his hair to behind his ear.

Sono smiled and shut his eyes at the touch, leaning his head into Seijis palm, kissing his thumb and sighed in glee.

A sudden cold feeling on his face made his left eye open and his smile grew when he caught sight of Seijis left hand.

"This band looks good on you...I'm glad we decided on something simple."

Seiji laughed nervously, staring at the ring for a moment before sighing and said,

"Yeah I am too. I just wish Yasuda didn't make a huge deal about it...oh god and Ashi too. You'd think they'd never seen two people sign a partnership certification before."

"Call it what you want, Seiji-kun, but in their eyes, their best friend was technically getting married. Of course they'd be excited for you...and besides, you say they were making a huge deal about it? Says the man who went out and got us matching 'wedding rings'. Haha. You were more excited than you lead on, don't deny it."

"I know, I know, make fun of me while I'm already embarrassed...I just wish your brother showed up. You told him about it, right?"

Sonos eyes softened a little and he smiled.

"I did. And he feels bad he couldn't be here for it. He was caught up with work and couldn't make time. The amount of times I had to hear him apologize to me...haha and Miyuki on the other end of the phone congratulating me in Italian. Haha! 'Congratulazioni, Giardino! Mantenere il marito sotto controllo! È solo meglio da qui!*'. She's such a kidder."

Seiji stared at the blond for a moment, watching him laugh himself silly, only to stop when he felt Seijis dark eyes on him. Confused, he gave him a puzzled look and said,

"What?"

"Since when did you know how to speak Italian? You've never mentioned that before."

"Oh! Haha, well, I told you Miyuki spent a lot of time in Italy throughout her childhood and became fluent in the language. You would think I'd pick up on some dialect. Hell, Oto proposed to her in Italian so you can imagine why my family speaks the language so flawlessly."

"Is that right? Haha. I just figured you were perfect all together, Sono."

"Stop trying to flatter me."

Seiji chuckled; this was how things should be forever. Just the two of them like this in bed every night, laughing and not having a care in their worlds.

The younger man leaned down to kiss his neck and whispered,

"It's still early; Want some coffee?"

The blonds brown eyes lit up at the sound of the caffeinated drink and he sat up slowly, nodding. Within seconds, Seiji was up and out of bed, putting on a pair of sweat pants while handing his lover his long black robe, noticing how he struggled to get out of bed.

They walked hand in hand to the kitchen, stealing kisses here and there and eventually, once they got to the kitchen, Seiji had Sono pressed up onto the counter, molesting his mouth with his tongue, his hands caressing his bare legs.

The caress of Seijis wedding band against his thigh made Sono shiver a little, gripping the back of his loves hair. Opening his eyes lightly, his gaze trailed down to stare at that ring touching him, his heart pounded and he whispered at him,

"I love you..."

Seiji chuckled and pressed a kiss to his neck, mumbling against his skin,

"I love you too. I thank whatever god is out there everyday for giving me the sense to give you that second chance. And for you saying yes to me."

The smile on Sonos face was nearly angelic and Seiji couldn't help but pepper kisses to the blonds pale cheeks.

"As much as I'd love to ravish you against the kitchen counter, I think you'd much rather have some coffee, am I right?"

The blond nodded and scooted off the counter, with some of Seiji's help. He walked past him and mentioned that he was going to sit in the living room while the coffee brewed and laughed when Seijis response was a light pat on his bottom.

Making his way to the living room, he turned on the tv and stretched as the news played in the background, making light white noise while he moved to his desk to collect some of his papers, moving through them and looking at his upcoming work.

He smiled at the tone his papers gave him.

They practically oozed happiness and joy, as seen by the way he wrote the characters dialogue and drew out their movements. One panel in particular made his smile grow;

His main character had been reunited with his love interest after she had been away for school for nearly 2 years. The reunion had been so emotional and so erotic that Sono felt tears in his eyes as he drew it, wrote it, brought it to life.

Sighing to himself, he organized the papers and settled them in his bag, counting the number of days until his deadline in his head.

Rubbing his neck, he walked back over to the couch, plopping down and covered his eyes with his arm, ignoring the sounds from the tv, already smelling the fresh coffee from his kitchen...he could hear Seiji bustling with the dishes in the sink. He could FEEL the silly grin on Seijis face as he rinsed out cups.

He turned his head to stare at the cellphone sitting on the coffee table, a flashing light blinking at him. His brow furrowed in confusion at the notion of a missed message; his hopes rose at the thought of his brother contacting him or even more so, his father.

Sitting up suddenly and gripping his phone, he opened it and saw it was a text message from Oto, which at first made him gasp and smile in glee.

It was quickly dropped when he actually read the message.

 _'Turn to channel 10, SakuraTV News. You're going to want to see this.'_

Tilting his head, he looked at the time of the message and saw that Oto had sent it literally 2 minutes ago. Turning his head up to the tv, his free hand gripped the remote next to him, flipping the channel to SakuraTV, eyes locked to the screen...eyes that widened and the remote dropped from his hand onto the floor with a thump.

The screen showed a reporter, pointing at a split screen and pointing at the text, all while discussing the news. Police were shown scattered around a field, flashlights and dogs on leashes.

Then the reporter started going into deep detail about what exactly it was Sono was watching.

 _ _'I'm Takuya Miro with SakuraTV in Tokyo, Japan. We are receiving word from our representatives in America, where mass murderer Mizuno Takeo, has just been shot down by on sight officers, after attempting to escape the prison the day of his trail. Takeo was scheduled to be placed in the chair today after a series of murders and attempted murders that had lasted nearly 20 years in Japan. Just before being escorted to the location, Takeo made a daring escape and made it as far as the edge of the county line...wait...I am receiving word that Takeo had...I'm sorry?...carved names in his body? Am I hearing that right? Well, whatever the case, the names were clearly written in Kanji and while American officials are looking for a translator, I think we can all agree that Japan has become a little more safer with Mizuno no longer walking the ground...As you can see through our live footage-'__

The sound of cups falling to the floor broke Sono from his thoughts as he turned his head in shock, being greeted with Seijis shocked to shit stare at either him or the news, he wasn't sure which. But his own brown eyes locked with that of the tv once again, as the news officials zoomed into Takeo's body on a stretcher while medical examiners were looking at his arms, cleaning off the dirt and blood.

From there, Sono could see what was written on Takeos arms and it made him grip his own in response.

He had carved Naoki's name into his right arm...and Sonos name into his left arm, the arm he was going to kill him with. It was so shocking that his senses shut down and he slumped back against the couch, unsure of what to say or do.

It didn't take long before he felt Seiji sit next to him and set his arm on his shoulder, looking at him with such worry that Sono almost forgot what his own worries were. The hand that touched his shoulder moved to his face, cupping his cheek and leaned in to kiss him softly, feeling his skin tremble under his palm.

Their lips touched and almost instantly did Seiji feel tears on his hand, but felt Sono wrap his arms around his neck, pulling him closer to him, kissing him through his tears. It was a short kiss, but powerful as Sono broke away and smiled when Seiji began wiping his eyes with his thumb, kissing under his cheeks.

A strange laugh left the blonds lips as he said,

"It's...this is unreal...is this real?"

Seiji smiled at him and scooted even closer to him, kissing under his ear and whispered,

"It seems like it. I personally think he got off easy. Death was too good for him...but I don't care about that. Are you alright?"

Sono closed his eyes and thought about it for a moment, knowing it had festered in his head for what seemed like hours, even though he had just heard the news. It was hard to fathom. Takeo was gone, no longer around...dead. It was so weird and it sounded so foreign in his brain.

He could feel Seijis hands gently caressing his face and he could see, deep in the darkest parts of his mind, Naoki sitting before him, nearly embracing him the way Seiji would.

That's when the image faded as quickly as it came and Sono couldn't help but smile his heart away, opening his eyes and Seiji was blown away by how beautiful those brown eyes looked as they were near glassy in tears. Those pale hands reached up and gripped his lovers hands, whispering,

"I feel...amazing. Better than amazing. My nightmare is over. I don't ever have to look at myself in the mirror and look at a shell of who I thought I could be..."

The younger man was thrilled at the sound of that. He had waited for so long for Sono to feel this way and leaned in to kiss his neck, peppering kisses to his vein, rubbing his slender waist.

"...But..."

But? Why was there a but? Seiji pulled himself away from his loves neck, eyes blazing at the idea of Sono suddenly having second thoughts about everything that happened in the last several months. Seeing his face, however, calmed him down relatively quick.

Sono had stopped talking and shut his eyes tightly, feeling more tears leave his eyes as he shivered in Seijis hold. Removing his hands, he stood suddenly, earning a shocked stare from his lover, eyes watching as he walked over to the tv in such a zombie like state, turning it off, leaving them in the dark living room, the moon shining through the patio doors.

Sono hadn't turned to face Seiji yet, not that he needed to. He wrapped his arms around his waist through his robe, his trembling becoming more and more obvious.

Seiji sat up straight to face his lovers back, confused as to why the blond was suddenly so upset.

"Sono-san?"

The resounding silence, combined with the soft noises from outside made the younger man nervous, but was greeted with a sound like was very close to a choked sob; his heart dropped.

Finally, after a few moments, the blond opened his mouth, the words trailing out with little to no hesitation.

"I feel like my heart hurts. Like everything as I knew it before has suddenly come to a crash...like...I'm happy...but at the same time, I feel like I lost a piece of myself."

The statement was so strong that Seiji stood slowly, walking around the coffee table to stand behind his lover, listening intently as he continued.

"I know what he did to me was terrible...horrific...and the people he killed...claiming he did it for me and for Naoki...I still feel sick thinking about it...I don't understand it. I should be happy. I can finally breath and live again without being terrified of turning on the news and seeing his newest murder scene and imagining myself there...why is this affecting me so much? Takeo is dead...I just need to keep saying it. The more I say it, the more I'll believe it to be true."

From there, Sono began a small mantra, muttering to himself that Takeo was dead, over and over. And each time he said it, he could feel his skin trembling and tears leaking from his eyes. Seiji felt the confusing feelings radiating over his lovers form, but he kept silent, knowing this was what Sono needed to do.

Eventually, as Sono repeated the same thing over and over, it became apparent that he wasn't handling this well. His hands covered his eyes as he spoke, his voice increasing in volume until he finally cracked.

"...Takeo is dead...Takeo is dead...Takeo...is dead...Takeo's dead...he's dead...oh my god, he's dead...god why?! Why am I like this?! Why am I acting this way...for a damned murderer?! He's dead! Why can't I accept this!?"

Broken sobs left his lips and Seiji finally could take no more of his lovers self suffering. Gingerly, he wrapped his arms around the blonds shoulders, bringing him closer to his chest, feeling him gasp and tense suddenly, but Seiji remained grounded, kissing his temple, whispering,

"You still loved him. Maybe not the way you used to, but the feeling of your best friend was still there. You wanted to help him, change him, reform him back into society, but you couldn't. And it wasn't because you failed him, it was because he was far too gone for help. There was nothing more you could have done for him...you're not upset that he's dead...at least...not entirely."

At that, Sonos head perked up and turned to look into his lovers eyes, his own being wide and wet with tears, some of which escaped down his cheeks. Seiji continued with a stern look on his face and said,

"You're upset that the man you used to know, used to love, used to trust is now forever gone. And he isn't coming back. The man you used to be with, Mizuno Takeo, was overwhelmed by his own dark wants that he lost who he was completely and was determined to take you and Naoki with him. He's not getting that chance ever again. He's gone. And you're still here. You can live on the way you've always wanted to..."

The blonds heart skipped a beat and his left hand raised to grip Seijis arm, knowing full well he was right. Perhaps his anguish was more on the side of having failed to bring the old Takeo back...but even if he did, and Takeo did change...would he try and take Sono away from Seiji?

He most likely would have and it would have started everything over again. And in a way, Sono knew that. He knew there was no helping him come back to who he used to be. His hopefulness blinded him of that horrid truth and almost caused his own death in return. Seiji was right. The blond was better off.

Turning his head to stare out the window and into the snow covered city, but also at their reflections in the door, he smiled through his tears. It was like a new dawn approaching for the two of them. They had signed their papers, moved everything into one apartment and were finally starting their lives together like they wanted. And for the first time in a long time, Sono felt like his life was finally going in the direction he wanted since graduating high school. There was no need to be afraid anymore.

He gripped his lovers arm in assurance and sighed to himself, feeling his heart pound in his chest, not to mention Seiji's heartbeat against his back.

Seiji smiled and nuzzled the blonds neck, saying,

"I can only hope I make you as happy as you wanted to feel with them, if not happier. I'd give my whole life to you, treasure you in ways no one else can...and you know you'd do the same for me. I love you, Sono and nothing will change that. I can promise I will never leave you or hurt you. I'd rather die than put you through anymore hell. You've been through enough of it as it is."

Gently turning the blond around so they were facing each other, earning another confused stare from the blond, Seiji got down on his knees and took the blonds hands in his, kissing his knuckles. The action was so soft and sudden that Sonos eyes widened in curiosity as his lover said,

"No more, Sono-san. No more pain. No more bad memories. No more ghosts. No more sadness. I almost lost you once to that and I don't ever intend on it to happen again. It's you and me now. And I promise that I will spend the rest of my life making you the happiest person alive, happier than you've ever imagined."

Sonos eyes softened and he gripped Seijis hands, not knowing what to do.

"Seiji..."

"I promised you once before that I would be here to help you heal in whatever way you needed. I will never break that promise and now...my only want is to grow with you, help you become who you've wanted to be. And you are already such a beautiful person, Sono. You're the one I never imagined myself to be with...now I can't imagine my life without you. And if this Takeo stuff hurts you this much..ever affects you in ways you can't handle...then I promise to be here for you whenever you need my shoulder. Always remember that, love."

With that, Seiji pressed a kiss to the blonds own wedding band, pressed snug against his previous ring and smiled to himself. He was still so young, but every time they were together in such a way, he felt so much older, more wiser and more experienced than he ever felt before. Looking up at him, he smiled and his heart throbbed.

The look on Sonos face was enough to make Seiji fall in love all over again. There was that horribly cute embarrassed blush, coupled with some stray tears and a coy smile hidden behind years of released pain. The blond feel to his own knees and threw his arms around Seiji's neck, loving how those hands gripped his thin waist and head.

"God Seiji-kun...you're too sweet for words...you always have been...what would I do without you?"

"Ah, haha, now you're just piggybacking my words. But I'm your husband now, silly. I'm supposed to be protective of you, make you feel better when you're upset. What kind of man would I be if I couldn't be there for my wife?"

Sono chuckled at that, releasing his hold to lean in for a kiss, something Seiji was more than eager to provide...

"Hold up...wife?"

….and the eagerness was replaced with nerves as Seiji was greeted with Sonos confused, yet piercing glare. The younger man chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head, saying,

"I mean...it's just...well, do you also want to be called my husband? I mean, it's up to you, Sono-san. I didn't mean to offend or anything. I just thought wife was cute and you're cute and oh man, I am nuking this hard, aren't I?"

"Well...no not really."

"Huh?"

The man looked at the blond in his lap, seeing how he was shifting with an ever darker blush before groaning, saying,

"Look...I don't care what you call me in our apartment. Hell, I guess I can tolerate wife...demeaning to me as it sounds on some degree...b-but you do not call me that when we're out, is that clear? You call me wife once outside these walls and I can assure you that not only will sex be off the table, but you'll be sleeping out here for the next week. Are we crystal?"

Seiji paled suddenly, a horrified look crossing his features as Sono turned away with his arms crossed, sternness covering his face, nearly ignoring his husbands whining.

"Ahhh Sono-san, you're so cruel! Alright, alright, I won't call you anything like that outside the apartment. Just don't kick me out of our bed! You may not think so, but the couch is terribly uncomfortable. Remember that I had to sleep there when we fought all those months ago!"

"You are such a child. I won't subject you to such punishment if you follow that simple request. And that goes for Yasuda and the others too! Any mention from either of them about that and you can sleep over with them instead."

The resounding groaning whine that left Seijis mouth as he fell backwards against the floor made Sono chuckle to himself. Sitting between his husbands spread legs on the living room floor while said man moaned around like a child whose toy was taken away made him want to laugh out loud, but he composed himself, standing up and walked over the coffee table, picked up his phone and opened it, with the intent of calling his brother and informing him that everything was alright after watching that broadcast.

But instead, he texted him with a simple,

 _'Thank you, nii-san. I saw it all. And everything's ok now. I feel fine. I'll call you tomorrow.'_

Leaving it at that, he set his phone back down and turned to see Seiji staring up at him from the floor, pouting to himself. It was more than enough to make Sono laugh behind his hand and say,

"Oh get up. It's not like I'm just going to banish you altogether. Now come on. We need to clean up the mess you made by dropping our cups and make more coffee. With the night we've had, I don't see us going to sleep any time soon."

The pout that once settled on Seijis face changed quickly to a huge smile as he pounced up to his feet and walked over to the door way, bending over to pick up the broken shards, noticing that there were not many to begin with. As he straightened, he said,

"Why don't you go change into something more outdoor friendly? Once I clean up here, we can head down to that 24 hour cafe and have a midnight snack. I don't know about you, but their espresso crepes sound so good and I don't feel like making them at home just to make more dishes. Is that alright?"

"Now that you mention it, it does sound good. Sure...let me get some clothes on. Be right back."

Sono pressed a kiss to the mans cheek before walking past him into their room, hearing the sound of glass being thrown into the trash and a broom being pulled from the closet.

Pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a blue sweater, Sono tossed them on the bed and reached down to untie his robe, but suddenly stopped, his eyes locked to his night stand.

He kept something in there, something that Seiji knew about and was almost eager to get rid of it, but knew why Sono still kept it. With that thought it mind, the blond opened his bottom nightstand drawer and pulled out his locket, seeing how it still shined in their bedroom light. The touch of it sent Sono into a frenzy of feelings like usual, but this time, instead of tears and sorrow, he smiled as he opened it, staring at the picture he loved looking at.

The beautiful memory of that day would always make Sono smile, knowing it was long in the past and the two boys he loved so much were gone. That's all they could be now...memories.

With a sigh, he unclasped the chain and drug it through the lockets loop, keeping it open and set it down on his nightstand, resting against the picture he had of him and Seiji in tower where they first met, taken about an hour or two after they signed their partnership papers. It was an odd choice and Sono felt like he should put the locket away forever, but this seemed better for him. Like it was the best thing he could do in honor of their memories. To remind himself of the great times they shared before it went to hell.

Finally removing his robe and allowing it to glide off his shoulders to the floor, he slipped the sweater over his head and pulled up his sweats, feeling bundled and warmer already. All the while, he stared at the two pictures, feeling the contrast between them and sat down on the bed, feeling his heart constrict, swallowing it down and sighed to himself again before whispering to himself,

"Naoki...Takeo...thank you. Thank you both...for everything."

He sat there for a few more moments, running their memories through his head one last time before smiling and reached over to shut the locket forever, but was stopped when he heard Seiji call out,

"I'm ready when you are, love! All I need is a shirt! Haha. If you don't mind tossing me one on your way out!"

Sono smiled and giggled, standing up and walked to Seijis dressed to pull out a long sleeved green sweater for him and walked to the doorway, turning to take one last look at the picture and his brown eyes brightened. It would be alright for a while. Seiji would understand.

Shutting his eyes, he turned off the bedroom light and walked into the kitchen, throwing the shirt at his lover, earning a loud laugh and a playful punch to the shoulder. The two made their way to the threshold, slipping on their shoes and jackets before Sono proclaimed that his wallet was in the bedroom and ran to grab it.

As he grab it from the nightstand, he took this opportunity to reach over and shut the locket, knowing he had to move on from it and quickly stuffed it back into the bottom drawer, leaving the bedroom before he had a chance to regret it.

He walked back to the doorway where Seiji waited, curious at the beaming stare in the blonds eyes, not to mention the way he attached himself to his arm, clinging ever so slightly. The man chuckled.

"You feeling alright, love?"

Sono looked up at him, observing everything in his features...his goofy smile, his wonderful laugh, the way he wrapped his arm around his waist before his kissed his temple. The blond felt his heart burst alive once again. He was truly in love.

With a silly smile of his own, he shook his head.

"I feel great...ButI believe you said something about espresso crepes. Will you be sharing or do I have to play my seductive card to get you to share?"

"Hey hey. There's not gonna be any seductive card playing when we go out. A-and who said I wasn't going to share? You think so little of me, Sono-san."

The blond laughed and the two of them walked out the front door, bantering back and forth as the door shut, muffling their words as they walked down the apartment stairs. The apartment was left in darkness, save for the moon shining in their living room and bedroom.

The moonlight illuminated the picture of them on the nightstand, making the frame glow a golden color, as if it was becoming a new chapter in an otherwise depressing story.

Sono certainly felt like it was. He felt like a teenager again, feeling such powerful love for someone. Even now, as he watched Seiji eat the crepes he talked so highly of, discussing upcoming manga volumes and conventions they would hopefully go to together, Sono felt nothing but joy. The last few months would fade from his mind eventually and if they never did, that was fine too. They would be reminders of what Sono went through to find true happiness.

Taking a bite of his own crepes alongside some fruit he ordered, he chuckled as Seiji was telling a humorous story that took place at his work, his arms waving in eccentric motions and the blond found himself staring lovingly at him, almost not paying full attention to the story, but more so to the person telling it. There was a soft pink flush on the blonds cheeks as he stared, feeling his body ache to hug this man, to thank him for everything he gave him.

Seiji Yamada did more for him than he could ever imagine. He gave him love, something he was almost sure to give up on at some point, given how his past relationships had been, the verbal and emotional toll of being mistaken for a woman and being cast aside...Seiji made him forget all this.

He gave him a reason to smile everyday, even if something went wrong, Sono found a reason to smile through it, knowing Seiji would be there in case he couldn't.

More importantly, more than anything else, Seiji gave Sono hope. For years, the blond felt hopeless in nearly everything and this one man changed it all for him. Hope to be happy and hope to regain the relationships he once had with his family.

Seiji did all that for him, even when he felt he didn't deserve it. It was how Sono knew he was truly in love with this man. He'd spend the rest of his life making up for the hardships Seiji went through throughout this whole year because of him, and he would certainly give up everything should it come down to it. His job meant nothing, his reputation meant nothing if it meant he'd lose his love.

Leaning his cheek against his palm, watching Seiji continue his story, his eyes cast down for a moment to look at his wedding ring and smiled to himself. Everything was right in his world again.

He found his purpose. He found his reason to live.

He found love and he found happiness...true love and utter happiness.

And even thinking of their future, the issues they'd face, the struggles and the pain.

It would be enough for him. If it was for Seiji, it was more than enough.

Sono was finally happy. Seiji was happy. And to the two of them, that's all that really mattered.

In his mind, he thanked Seiji for giving him the life he wanted for himself...to share it with the man he couldn't live without.

 _'Seiji-kun...thank you...I love you...I really love you.'_

"Sono-san? Are you listening to me?"

The blond nodded absentmindedly, eyes never leaving Seijis face. His mind was elsewhere at this point anyway. Seiji didn't seem to notice as he continued talking and Sono shut his eyes, smiling widely to himself. This was perfect. Everything about this moment was perfect. Everything about his life now was perfect...

Truly perfect.

 _Fin_

* * *

Authors notes:

*= Congratulazioni, Giardino! Mantenere il marito sotto controllo! È solo meglio da qui! is basically the way of saying, Congratulations (Sonos Italian name from Miyuki is Giardino. In case you didn't know that, read Life and Trails and it explains it a bit more) ! Keep your husband under control! It gets better from here!...I'm hoping to god my Italian was on point because it took me forever to figure out the best way to word this.

I hope you enjoyed this new fic! I mentioned in chapter 1 that the original version had some...ahem...issues and had to be taken down. But for those who had read the original or are new comers to this, I hope you liked it. This story meant a lot to me as I wrote it and it dives into some touchy subjects, as you've probably noticed. If you know someone or are someone whose going through some hard things like depression brought on by past trauma, always try and be there for support. You never know how much it could mean to someone you love and care about.

As I said before, I am more than happy with how this rebooted story turned out. I recently found my old notes to the original and I have to admit, I feel more in love with this version than I ever felt. It feels more real to me, if that makes sense.

If you liked it, let me know! Leave a review, a message, etc. And if there's something else regarding the Sensitive Pornograph fandom (or any other fandom) you'd like to read, shoot me a message. I love to make people smile with my work.


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